Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-11
IN INTERESTS OF HEALTH
OBJECT OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE
PURE FOOD BILL.
Report of the House Committee on In
terstate and Foreign
Commerce.

Representative Barham has drawn up the
report of the committee on interstate and
foreign commerce on the pure food bill
The report, in part. says of the bill:
1T does not interfere with any legiti-
mate trade or industry. or prohibit the use
OF any product whatever so long as that
product has not been duly adjudged in
furious to health by an impartial commits
sion. 1t simply requires that every product
offered for sale and which is transported
from state into another shall be
branded true to name. 1t lifts an immense
burden from the shoulders of the retailer,
who. under existing state laws. is made to
bear the burden of the wrongdoing of nan
outside his state who sell to him. 1t per-
mits him to secure a certificate of purity
from the men from whom he purchases,
and this enables the agent of the govern
nHnt to follow to its fountain head the
misbranded product and bring the penalties
for violations of the proposed law upon tac
head of the guilty man and not upon the
innocent druggist or the modest corner
srocerymen.
Prevalence of AdulteratiOn.
The report of the Agricultural Depart
ment estimates that the amount of fraudu-
lent adulteration reaches - per cent. and
of injurious authorizations . per cent of the
product consumed. The latter figures were
based on careful estimates prepared by the
American Grocer of New York, and the
former We're based on figures secured by
representatives of the department, who di-
vided the averages received from nearly all
the states in half so not to eXaggerate.
These figures have been generally accepted
by the officials a basis that could not be
impeached.
1T is estimated that each person In the
United States consumes OF food. drugs and
liquors an average Of only 81 per week and
that the population reaches 75,ne.OOO from
which it follows that the consumption
aches $50 100 weekly 81 10000 COO
annually. and that on a basis of II per cent
the fraudulent adulteration reaches S1.1Io.
0Do.r0 every year, and hurtful and injuri-
Gus authorizations amount annually to the
sum of Sl56,WO.Un-a sum altogether out of
proportion to the benefit received even by
the perpetrators of the crime, but which,
through such frauds. the honest producer
of a pure product. and the honest dealer IN
handling such product. and the consumer
who buys the impure and misbranded prod
uct are compelled to pay or lose, as the case
may be. so that the fraudulent vender may
enrich himself at their expense, to the dis
credit of the American goods.
To Secure Freedom From Fraud.
This bill does not in any way interfere
with the production or manufacture of any
thing that is not deleterious to health. 1t
specifically provides that no manufacturer
shall be compelled to make his trade formu-
IA pubic Such publication would 1eopardlZe
many honorable and lucrative business In
terestS. 1t protects the producer and manu-
facturer against competition with those
who improperly brand their products. The
object and purpose of this legislation is to
secure freedom from fraud and misrepre
sentation in the commerce of food products.
To this end it forbds:
First. Interstate traffic in articles in
furious to health.
Second. Improper branding. 1t in no way
u i,,t.. ix- r1t
branded. No compound mixture is legis-
lated against. 1t provides that all food
products shall be properly branded. An
imitation, if it is an imitation, shall be
branded as such, and a compound, If it is
compound. shall be so branded that any
man who goes upon the market to buy
shall be protected in his rights in securing
the article for which he asks and for which
he pays his money. He is secured from the
danger of having some bogus or injurious
product passed off upon him.