The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-20
FROM THE
DON'T SHOOT THE ORGANISE.
Seattle. March 10, 10

Seattle. March l9, 1906.
TIC the Editor: 1 beg leave to correct an
apparent apprehension of certain criti-
oisms of the pure food law, contained in
a letter of mine recently published In
your columns to which State Dairy and
Food Commissioner T.. A. Mcdonald takes
exception in the same public name My
remarks were directed against the law and
not against the commissioner
IL that gentleman had said merely.
Don't shoot the organist, he is doing the
best he cam I should have nothing to
say.
The commissioner SAYS: ~ take excep-
ton 10 the statement OF Mr.. Porter that
the wholesalers and manufacturer of
other states are not being forced to live
up TO the law" and states further. 81 can
produce, II necessary, scores OF letters
from wholesalers and manufacturer of
other states IN which they have gone on
record that they viii guarantee their
goods TO the grocer and will ship their
goods hereafter in strict conformity with
my rulings" Possibly 1t might have been
as well for the commissioner to go fur
ther and explain what difference IL made
IL he could do so.
In the first place, the law nowhere states
that dealers In food products within the
state shall be exempted from the penal
ties prescribed upon a guarantee by the
foreign manufacturer or wholesaler thai
MS goods comply with the law, ana III the
absence of direct and convincing evidence
that the commissioner held that such a
guarantee cid so operate. II would be most
unjust to him to suppose that he would
do so. If such a guarantee is sufficient.
any one may offer whatever he pleases for
sale within the state, provided 1t is not
made here.
Further, how the statement of the for
eign manufacturer or distributor hat he
will hereafter ship his goods in conformity
with the commissioners rulings can have
any value, | fail to see. / do not question
hat he will go even farther and. In case
his goods should be held to be unsatisfac-
tory under the law, he would say that he
had complied with the commissioner =
rulings. This certainly should be fully as
satisfactory, II not more so. as he ought
10 know what he had done quite az we'll as
what he intended TO do. The statement.
moreover. only touches rulings already
made by the commissioner. but does not
explain by what means he Ia 10 know in
advance what rulings are going to be
made.
The letter OF the commissioners takes ex-
oeption to the statement alleged 20 have
been made by me that there was no possi-
hility of enforcing the law against manu-
facturers and wholesalers of other states
After carefully examining my letter, l
fail TO see such statement. What l did
say and what | wish TO repeat, is that they
are practically exempt from the operation
OF the law. Mr.. Mcdonald states: "A
warrant can be placed in the hands of the
proper officer n the agent or the manu-
faCturer, as the case may be. can he ar
rested as soon as he comes within Its Dor
ders." This Is unauestionahly true. The
question arises. what OF III Until expert
ence demonstrates that the outsiders uni-
formly come within the Jurisdiction 20 do
penance for their misdeeds, one cannot be
blamed for believing that the law is I'M
equal in its operation.
DAVID II. PORTER.