The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-02-15
ENCOURAGING FRAUD.

ENCOURAGING FRAUD.
Much to the regret of everybody
who holds the health of the commun-
ity above the profits to be made by a
few individuals, the pure food bill Of
Senator Hoffman has been killed. In
it's place will be made a recommends
ton to congress to pass a bill pending
in that body for the enactment Of q
national law on the subject. The de-
feat of the measure is credited to the
manipulative skill of the Butte
grocery merchants, who opposed the
bill because it would injure their bust
ness if allowed to become a law.
They made no pretense of denying
that many Of the goods on their
shelves are adulterated to the extent
of being a menace to the health of
those unfortunate enough to consume
them; in fact, they admitted this, but
claimed they could not afford to de-
stroy them because of the loss it
would entail upon them. The legis-
lature allowed that selfish and dishon-
est argument to prevail and the bill
was choked off, the members apparent
ly considering the %pecuniary benefits
to the merchants paramount to the
health of the public. 1t is needless to
say that tie legislature was wrong, for
everybody recognizes the fact and the
people will no doubt hold the gentlemen
responsible for the outrage in memory,
SO that when they come up again for
Office they may be dealt with as they
deserve. Nevertheless, it is a
sad commentary on the class
Of men whom the people elect
to make laws for them and shows
to what degree the spirit of sordid
s%elfishness is permitted to influence
men in their consideration Of questions
Of such utmost importance as the
matter of conserving the health and
welfare Of the people of a large and
powerful state. Simply because a
handful Of men possessed of political
power oppose a measure calculated to
benefit thousands of their fellow
creatures, d body of lawmakers COM
,1ooopf1r o11or &Ioir x,ic,nc orl do
sires to govern them and a really meri-
torious and necessary measure is
strangled. In the opinion Of the
legislature it is far more important
that the Butte dealers be allowed to
make their usual profits on the poi
sons they sell for foodstuffs than that
the people of the state be protected
against them and the dishonest manu-
facturers with whom they trade.
The bill was not calculated to be
prohibitive in it's results, but merely
required that all foodstuffs containing
authorizations be marked or branded
to that effect. It did not aim to sup
press the sale of adulte1ated goods, but
only intended that they should be sold
as such, thus leaving it optional with
the buyer whether he wanted them or
not.
In view of the success which attend
ed the opposition to this bill it need
not be surprising if the pending mea-
sure to insure the sale. Of only such
meat and milk as can pass inspection
will also be throttled. While num-
erically not so strong as the grocers,
the butchers and dairymen are, never.
theless, not without and that
they are willing to apply them is al.
ready evident from the charge made
that they have raised a fund for the
purpose of seeing certain members
of the legislature. It remains to be
!, seen whether consumption Of diseased
) meat and milk is regarded as being
| no more injurious than the consump.
tion of canned goods doctored will
acids and composed chiefly of minera.
matter.
Legislatures often show their dis
regard for accepted beliefs by doing
the very things the people at large
ask them not to do, or not doing those
I, that the community thinks they
0 should do.
MONTANA GETS NONE.