The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-09
PURE FOOD TN VIOLATED.
Merchants Are Selling Adj
liberated Articles Of Food.
COMMISSIONER IS CRITICISED.
xccsrding 60 ITS Plain Terms, ths
Act went Into Effect April Ink
tensions GRANTED by Commission
or Mcdonald - Nut Four Fines
Have Keen Paid Locally-Is He
Acting within Laws Provisionss

u -.
49, r.ov,.,.,.,
..
n ises. the sale Of aduiterated articles Of
SooI under representations OF purity. and
ia snanufacture Of food products contain
~ AolelSm .s ..S dsrom,inated n rnis.
was prohAoited ana oenomlnasso -. IaS.,
demesnor. the enrOrrs force - ,ha hands am - of
the state dairy commissions. who was
msde ex-officio pure food commissioner.
Complaint has been made BY both dealers
ana manufacturers that the law has never
WI Wh,is no oharres have ever been nled
e3amst =. q. 1890 - rsss has haen
brought cut That, although the law mas
been in effect since April o. iast year.
very few prosecutions have been made,
c eSaD ~ r,ssers ~ aduitsrsted food
ssSSy 49,. $1,000 A. s;an Ersncisco. Port
49, 90 M.S..rr rtssss continue 10 send
lana ana EAstern C.uos So.'n .N $3.50
into this state Aduiterated spices. money
vinegar. baking powders ana other arti-
olss Of eonamon consumption which are
city ana s.ate; - :. -. -, .t.t.. a
the si union Which Oi has an effective pure
food law on it's statute DOCKS. Ino act
was drawn up by DR.. w. 7. White, Q
rom island county at the last session q
the legislature, but now resioent OF thIs
city. DR. White consulted the statutGs q
ern states and drew the Washington act
ON similar lines. AS physician ne y
bill OF which he is the father. The local
health officers have AZ q measure looked
to the enforcement Of the law while natur-
ally local dealers. jobbers and dag aEen +; 20. O.
ested.
statute II Mandatory.
The pure food commissioner. Mr.. Nc.
,.. uo ecra ~ the law T,ha Hi a. Il
lteiaiy eniorce9 me law rrov,aea thet y
passeo tne isklsiatuIS PAvxWeu t,. esa -
should take effect April ], y y on record
that the oommissioner e ttye the "a
atoms OF tine act from r,+r ne ~ accorSad
the newspapers ana m Sircuiar iet ie; 70
the wholesale ana Te'an sroceis ucas
on the stase; =, a.. !. 49,. MT h.fora
AZ maiaef q bs IaS Observation-Disclosures SS not accopd.
august tnas the co .,n,,t ,,dnr.nCS ~
ing 70 ms own stae9ment, @ ti ~. ~
pronipih as p1ovIaea Dy tn seas ,;rdn, az
terms OF me act: :. s.,.,a~ IN :, ~
u, Inc last parvrSiapn q seJon ~ u ,sant
1l nr,i fea9 1900 ). rms sc' Shall 'aAe eAleIs
~ ~ m . Ls nsowssvts, .iat, i ~
withstanoing TINS pam provision, the law
Mas 1ot en.orceu ,, Hun s an ai Ians tnwsrd
nor. N IaCt, Will ven aluns lowaI9
Autumn. lures .nonsns asu tiiS p SS ,uu ~.
co,, ~ haI;ava that Observation-Disclosures the
fact that he had made certain rules which,
in effect, amounted to an extension of
Gerry dealers In the state continued to sell
many articles which came within the oper-
alton Of the act
At that time he stated in an interview
that prosecutions would Immediately fol-
low and that the offending dealers would
be brought into court and made to answer
for their failure to observe the law.
Few prosecutions, however, have been
made. according to Commissioner McDon-
AIDS admissions, and In the records of the
local Justice courts. Before Judge Austin
four culprits altogether have pleaded gull
~ to an infringement of the law and have
been fined $50 EACH the minimum penalty.
While Mr.. Mcdonald has friends among
the wholesale and retail dealers who say
that ne has given fair administration Of
more than disposed to crlticse the COM
missioner. Those who do not agree with the
wisdom of Mr.. McDonald's course assert
on what date the law should go into force,
after which 1t became unlawful to sell
aduiterated goods under the terms Of the
act
1t is further alleged and maintained by
these people that Commissioner MELON
aid. being charged by his oath of office
pure food act, had no discretion in the
premises and overstepped his powers when
he gave the retail dealers extensions from
time to time last summer, instead of rigid
ly enforcing the act
Food Commissioner's Excuse.
c.-.,.s,. .r.D.,s
stoutIv maintains mat he has d howey ths
rgnt tning. Al tne same time, ne admits
that there are soid II very many retail
houses Oh tns state ar.icies when are not
mt tba uendors ef Whini a mor aais OF tno
Sn.rr .hn " S " "i'iNAA "ic u"iy Nioidt-
ihs me law.
months ago, the commissioner saws that
there are numbers of dealers who are not
complying with the terms and whom he