Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-04

in some measure like that which has been
receiving the unanimous and effective sup
port of the members of the Vermont con-
gressional delegation.
The people of the Green Mountain State
do not need to be told of the various
ways in which our farming interests have
been forced to suffer as the results Of
substitution of spurious dairy products for
the genuine article, although the anti
olcomargarine law has worked revo-
luton in this particular connection; or
how the name of pure Vermont maple
has been taken in vain all over the coun-
try, all sorts of remarkable combinations
of sorghum and glucose and coloring mat
ter, with the appearance II not the oleag-
nous qualities, of axle grease. having
been palmed off for that saccharine
dainty.
Some OF our readers may have little
idea, however, Of the extent to which
nearly all manufactured food products are
adulterated or made to suffer by sub
stitution. The congressional committee on
agriculture has been making an investiga-
tion into this subject and 1t has summar-
lied some of its conclusions In relation
to the supplies of domestic food now In
the home market. Canned meats after
being treated by the jugglers are describ-
ed as often guess" Fats of milk and
cheese rlay be extracted and process lard
substituted therefor. while the lard itself
may be simply beef stearin. Glucose Is
made to do duty to an enormous extent
for molasscs, syrup and strained honey.
Cocoa chocolate and all spices are man.
ufactured from cereals and -four; while
pure vinegar is said to be remarkably
scarce. chemical processes having made It
possible TO manufacture this product with
out the least basis Of apple juice. Many
of these spurious products are deleterious
to health, while the whole list Of sub
stitutions has demoralizng effect on
commerce as we'll as industry. The COM
mittcc find that the products Of the ag-
rcultural population come into Compe-
tition with cheap counterfeits whose SELL
ing price is 95 per cent clear profit.
a bill directed against this wholesale
i'pNA
passed the House and 1t has now gone
over to the Senate in which body 1t has
been referred to the committee on manu-
featured products. a new bill varying
slightly from the House measure has also
been introduced In that body. The
people of Vermont arc excusablc for be-
Loving that if the matter could have been
80
which Senat Or Proctor is chairman, which
course would have been fitting since most
of the products adulterated are those
of agriculture in some form, the chances
of passage of a pure food bill would not
have been diminished to say the least.
There is even more reason for the passa ge
of a measure directed against the adul-
iteration of various kinds of foods than
there was for the enactment of an anti
oleomargarine law; since this bill will
accomplish for a variety of products
what the olco act has done in the way
of relieving butter of the competition Of
spurious products.
If our national legislators give ear to
public sentiment. they will not fail to
send measure of this character to the
President for approval. A majority Of
the States have already reflected popular
sentiment by adopting pure food meas
ures, and some of them have imposed
very severe penalties for the adultera-
ton or false labelling OF foods. Senti-
mcnt against spurious food products has
been materially strengthened, however.
since the chemical bureau of the agricul-
tural department at Washington pub
lshcd it's disclosures last summer in re-
lation to the authorizations Of imported
foods.
Inasn,uch as the federal government In
spects goods sent from this country to
other lands in order to see that their
purity may he guaranteed and inimical
it is hardly too much to ask that the
general government take at least as
much pains to protect the American peo-
pie themselves from food authorizations
rs to protect foreigners from adulterated
foods sent from the United States.
1t is gratifying to be able to state that
unless adyices from the national capital
are misleading. the House bill or the Nc
Cumber substitute introduced In the Sem
ate will be favorably reported, and the
American people will be likely to receive
tho protection from adulterated foods
they so generally demand.