Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-24

be sympathetic and come home on the
first train
Then why don't you tell you're get
ing along nicely considering the circun-
stances"
II thought of that but It's likely to
make her suspicious, and then she'll
come back on the first train sure."-Chi-
cago Post
FOOD ADULTERANTS.
The Industrial Commission has been
investigating the adulteration of food
products. and has reached the conclus
ion that foods of American origin have
improved in purity during recent years,
except in certain particulars" and that
American manufacturers are producing
better goods than can be imported.
Two explanations are given for this inn
provement-"an advance in national
character. and the discovery that hon
esty is the best policy"
The commission has held numerous
sessions in Washington, New York and
Chicago and obtained the testimony of
chemists, physicians and manufacturers,
men who have analysed food products
and though their conclusions differ on
minor and obscure points. they show
with practical unanimity the necessity
of preventing fraud as much as possible,
and of protecting the health and lives
of the community by the enactment of
pure-food laws.
According to the testimony of DIR.
Wiley, nearly all say (95 per cent? food
10.
country been adulterated, but that
scarcely per cent of food products
bough, at random at the present time
spices and ground coffee excepted. are
adulterated, and that adulteration in
furious to health is much less extensive
than that which is merely fraudulent.
This means that money-making rather
than malice ;s the prevailing motive for
mixing products, and possibly that some
regard for public health is had in the
selection of the cheaper materials used.
1t is found difficult however, to distin-
guish injurious authorizations from those
that are merely frauds, as food that is
Gus to another.
So abundant and universally used a
product of wheat -four, from which the
1StdlIe OIL llLS Is NANNY IHdUe III lulS
country, is found to be adulterated. A
kind of terra alba, known as mineraline,
an earth product obtained from North
Carolina. is said to be used to some ex-
| tent. 1t is absolutely insoluble in the
stomach loading it UP with dead
| weight. Gypsum, or sulphate of lime,
! ground to a white powder, has also been
used. Corn flour. to cheaper the cost
/ and admit of greater profit till found
out, has been employed perhaps to a
greater extent than injurious adu.tera-
| ton. 1t is not thought that these prac-
1 tees are now more than exceptional; it
is probable that very large proportion
| of our -four is free from any sucn mani
| pulation. Still, the smallest possible per-
| centage of impurlty should be pre-
| vented.
| The subject of baking powders has
been investigated extensively. There is
\ practically no denial of the wholesome
ness of cream of tarter. though one or
| two authorities consider baking powder
| bread in general use less wholesome
! than that made by the process of fer
mentation. The main inquiry was in re-
! gard to the purity of the ingredients of
baking powders. Consulting chemists OF
several large companies claimed that
there is no appreciabie variation from
100 per cent purity, while other chemists
found commercial cream of tarter to
vary greatly in purity, and that some
samples bought for cream of tarte. con-
tanned none at all. A considerable diff
ference of opinion was found regarding
the use of alum. One chemist denied
that alum is soluble in the digestive
juices-a conclusion based on expert
ments on living animals. Not all au-
thorities were agreed as to its solubility
The preponderance of evidence was that
1t was harmful, producing Injurious eff
fects. especially in the digestive tract
and leading to chronic indigestion. A
1 German authority says that intense
nervous disturbance may Ultimately re-
suit from the absorption of aluminous
compounds. Two legislative solutions OF
the baking powder problem are proposed
I'D that manufacturers be required to
state the composition of their powder
on their labels, and (2) that the use OF
alum be prohibited. 1t is understood
that England France and Germany pro-
hibit its use.
The oleomargarine question is gone
fover. with much threshing of old straw
Coloring is considered 1t is charged
that color in imitation of butter, of a
product normally white, Is an attempt
4 to deceive. Butter is colored in winter
merely to produce uniformity. Its actual
color being yellow. A Chicago commits
sion merchant states that though the
production of imitation butter Is only
about per cent as great as that of but
ter from cream. the demand for fatl
used has raised the price OF cattle thru
Tout the country. A comparison OF this
value with the vast sum represented by
the cattle industry will show the absurd
Idty Of this claim. A small fraction OF one
per cent would cause rise In price
lSscarceiy ap preciable. But gain many