The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-09-13
Selrtt Misfrllunl.
Honesty is the Best POLICY

The Industrial Commission has been
investigating the adulteration of food
products, and has reached the conclu-
sion 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 improvement-''an ad-
vance in national character, and the
discovery that honesty is the best poll
cy." Not merely is it in evidence that
thieves and burglars do not often die
rich, or live to a great age, but in less
open thievery and deception for gain
the truth is apt to come out, such
practices becoming boomerangs de-
structive of profitable operations. Not
withstanding the apparent success Of
a few manufacturers of adulterated
goods,it is "suggested," if not declared,
that "more money is to be made out of
pure foods honestly labeled than out
of adulterated products"
The commission has held numerous
sessions in Washington, New York
and Chicago, and obtained the testi-
mony Of chemists, physicians and man.
ufacturers, men who have analyzed
food products and observed their
physiological effects, and though their
conclusions differ on minor and obscure
points, tLey show with practical una
nimity the necessity of preventing
fraud as much as possible, and of pro-
tecting the health and lives of the
community by the enactment of pure
food laws.
Much is said in this country and
throughout the world of the rapid en-
largement and great magnitude of our
exports, and yet in several lines, fire.
quently indicated in these columns,
exports have dwindled, with injurious
effect on the price and profit of the
domestic supply, in consequence of
deceptive and injurious adulteration,
which has discreditcd the quality of
the goods il foreign markets, and
turned the trade to other countries
that have better guarded it against
the sophistication practiced by a few
dishonest producers. Our cheese trade
is notable example of loss of many
million dollars in exports annually,
when the trade should have regularly
increased.
According to the testimony of DR..
Wiley, nearly all (say 95 per cent?
food products have at some time in
some country been adulterated, but
that scarcely S per cent. Of food pro-
ducts bought at random at the present
time, spices and ground coffee excepted,
are aduiterated, and that adulteration
injurious to health is much less extern
sive than that which is merely fraudu-
lent. This means that making
rather than malice is the prevailing
motive for mixing products, and pos
sibly that some regard for public health
is had IN the selection of the cheaper
materials used. 1t is found difficult,
however, to distinguish injurious adul-
tcrations from those that are merely
frauds, as food that is injurious to one
person may be innocuons to another.
SO abundant and universally used
product of wheat, -four, from which
the "statl of life is mainly made in
this country, is found 20 be adulterated.
A kind of terra alba, known as miner
aline, an earth product obtained from
North Carolina, is said to be used to
some extent. 1t is absolutely insolu-
ble in the stomach, loading it up with