The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-22

Representatives of seventeen great
states of the Union assembled in this
city yesterday. In the convention of the
National Association of State and Food
Departments, held in the senate cham
Der of the capitol. Besides the mem
bers of the state dairy and food de-
partments,, who were fifty three in
number there are various other inter-
ests represented From the United
State departments of agriculture have
come Prof. Ha,W. Wileyeand Henry E.
Alvord, and twenty-five manufacture
ers of food products have representa-
tives in attendance.
The states represented are Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Iowa, Michi-
gan, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Ohio, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois,
South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, Cali
fornia, Nebraska, Minnesota, Idaho.
Among the representatives of manu-
facturers is L. M. Frailey, president of
the National Association Of Manufac-
turers of Food Products. -
The keynote. lof the entire proceed
ings yesterday was national legislation
to establish food standards, and every
paper presented and every portion of
the discussion, had it's tendency toward
that one great subject. The necessity
for national pure food laws was unani-
mously recognized, and while there
was some variety as to how. those laws
should be framed, how they should be
promoted in congress, 7er what they
should contain, all speakers agreed
that the standards of purity for food
products should be established by ma
tional law. and that state laws should
conform to the standards thus fixed.
The chief feature of the days pro-
gramme was the address delivered last
evening by Prof. H. W. Wiley, chief of
the United States bureau of chemistry.
in which he explained the recent ex-
periments with borax and boric acid
which he conducted. !: In part Prof.
Wiley said:
Prof. Wiley Talks.
The primary object kept in view IN the
experiments which we are conducting is
to determine by strictly scientific meansthe
effect of preseryatives, coloring matters
and other substances added to foods, upon
the health of the consumer and upon di-
gestion We find in literature the most
varied opinions of experts, so-called, con-
corning these matters. Practically every
substance which has been used in foods
for any purpose. aside from the foods
themselves, has been the object of con-
demnation on the one hand and of praise
on the other. Salicylic acid, formaldehxde
boraX, sulphurous acid and benzoic acid
all have their apostles who declare their
use In preservatiye quantities not only
harmless, but positively beneficial On
the other hand, we find another set OF
experts which Unfortunately con-
dennis the use of any preservative or col
oring matter whatever. We must be al
lowed to say that the burden of proof
should fall upon the advocates of pre-
servatives and coloring matters 1t is not
claimed that these are substances natural
to food and their addition must therefore
be positively justified. Negative results
are condemnatory. If these bodies do
no good they have no reason of existence;
if they are injurious they should surely
be prohibited; if they are beneficial under
certain conditions those conditions should
be ascertained and definitely fixed.
1t was decided at the beginning that
the number at the experimental table
should be twelve, divided into two classes
of six each. twas evidently impractical
BILE for young man to continue fer seven
or eight months in so strenuous a life
at SO small compensation. The object
of having two classes was that one
should be resting while the otherswas scum
dergoing experimental treatment, thus
dividing the time as nearly as possible