The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-12-05
ENFORCEMENT OF FOOD LAW.
Commissioners Reports North Dakota
Generally Wtjjjno to Comply.

Commissioner Reports North Dakota
Generally Willing to Comply.
Pure Food Commissioner Ladd was
asked recently II suits were being
brought against the retail merchants of
the state a had been reported? To
this Professor Ladd replied: II am sor-
ry to say 1t has been found necessary
to institute several suits and others
may be expected to follow in rapid sue
cession during the next two weeks. I
wish to say, however, that 1t is not
the fault of the retail merchant, for he
has been trying hard to get his goods
In shape to comply with the law. There
are, however, several manufacturers
who, though promising to have their
fall stock comply with the require
ments of the law, are now sending in
goods colored with coal dyes, preserved
with chemicals, like salicylic acid.
formaldehyde. etc., and are telling the
merchants that these goods are all
right. 1 do not think the manufac-
turers are SO stupid as to believe this.
While I cannot reach the guilty manu-
facturer but must TAX the retailer or
jobbers l trust each of these will have
4 good guarantee SO that the real guilty
party will have to bear the expense.
These violators Of the law, that IL
the makers of these goods, a talked
to me like saints, If not in a fatherly
way. but some of their representatives
are telling the merchants of the state
that our small appropriation of $1,000 as
compared with $40, 900 in Minnesota, has
been about exhausted fighting the ''box
a - ~ mr. o~toD -yl ar L~@> -S,>-
from Minnesota and have flooded North
Dakota with this worst type of adulte-
rated goods. They have assumed that
being practically without funds it
would be impossible to prosecute the
v%iolators and they need not worry. Few
merchants have listened to this kind
Of talk and I honestely believe that the
present stock of goods in North Dakota
grocery stores averages 70 per cent bet
ter than one year ago.
Prosecution is not the right method
of correcting the food evil" continued
Commissioner Ladd, II am temporarily
driven to take the step because Of the
course being persued by a few parties
from outside of the state, who by their
corrupt methods are trying to over
throw or to bring our law into d%isfavor.
Moral suasion, publicity and education
Is the only way to ever fully correct the
food adulteration evil of the day. 1t Is
this method I have adopted and used
with our people and I wish to say that
I find the merchants generally honor
able in the matter and doing their best
to get pure goods and to sell only pure
goods but they are being imposed upon.
While 1 am forced to prosecuting them
I do so with regret knowing IN nearly
every instance 1 am prosecute a man
who is honest and who has tried to
comply with the law, at times at some
financial loss to himself, but I am
forced to punish the guilty party
through him."
When asked whether the wholesalers
and jobbers of the state were generally
complying with h law, Commissioners
Laid said: E'Those men ave been
stronger sufferers of the pure food work
for this state thar any other class Tn
the state. They have been put to heavy
expense and have cancelled orders
when they found the goods being con-
tracted for would not meet the require
ments or the manufacturer refused to
furnish a proper guarantee. Probably
they have been misled in a few In
stances the same as have the retailers.
Competition forced them to sell adul
terated cheap goods and they are glad
to be out Of that inc of goods and to
see them driven from the state. I
count the jobbers and retailers of the
state as doing their full share Of cor
recting the evil.
eff the people of the state support me
as Loyalty during the coming year es
they have in the past six months, there
will be no setback to the pure food
movement Of North Dakota, even
though the state is being flooded with
deceptive literature, syndicate articles
written for the Eastern trade journals
and daily press to belittle the work and
a corruption fund to break down the
force of our law by many now rec
ognized as one of the best in the coun-
try"