The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-21
FOOD SLEUTHS
TOO EASY.GOINC
CHARGE MADE BY MEDICAL
CLUB OF MINNEAPOLIS
That Organizations Committee on
Pure Food Believes the State Com
missioner Isn't Directing His En-
ergsy Where twill Do Most Good
Case Put Up to Van SAINT.

The Medical club is after Commits
sioner w. w. P. Mcconnell of the Min
nesota State Dairy and Food commits
lision. The club believes something is
tons against violaters Of the pure food
| law in Minnesota. Tests have shown
| the doctors that the only way they can
pull some patients thru is to take away
the food which is generally used and
to substitute what they know is abso-
that nothing is wrong with many pa
tients, except the use of adulterated
foods sold to the general public
Active work is being done by the
commission in vinegar and blackberry
brandy investigation, but the club re-
CARDS that of little consequence when
canned goods, milk and articles of
general and large consumption
charged with formaldehyde, dye stuffs
and coal products are sold in violation
of the law.
Is Mcconnell Too Complacent?
The club takes exception to the in
depreciation of the pure-foOd law
which the commissioner makes, with
out authority it believes. The law
reads specifically: Any person or
corporation violating any provisions
a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be punished in any
court having jurisdiction, by a fine
of not less than $25 or over $500, or
by Imprisonment in the county Jail
not exceeding ninety days
The commissioner says in his re-
port: 1T has been the intent Of the
department. to arrive at the result, the
greatest public good, in the easiest
and most consistent manner; there
fore, where this could be secured, and
fines avoided against violators of the
dairy and food laws, it has been
DONE"
The pure-food committee of the
club, Drs. Thomas D. Hartzell G. D.
Haggard, ). G. Gutenberg and Jour
ney Wells, have been doing some quiet
investigating, desiring to work with
the commission in obtaining results.
DR.. Thomas Hartzell, chairman of the
committee, has requested information
from the department in regard to the
disposition of seventeen cases against
a single creamery company on file in
book. A of the milk and cream rec
ords. No answer was received from
this personal request and it was for
Warded again by. mail Jan. l in or
der that the information might be
presented last night to the club.
Complaint Sent to Van SAINT
No answer was received and the
club passed resolution, which has
been sent to the governor, condemn
ing the "ineXcusable inactivity of
the Department. The resolution re-
cites that the investigation showed
adulteration Of milk and cream with
formalin, injurious -coloring matter
and artificial cream thickener.
TWenty-three samples in three months
of 1908 showed these authorizations
and 1t was recited further that the
pure food committee could not learn
of single conviction on these
counts. The club, therefore, requests
the commissioner to prosecute the
Offenders, Or to show cause why. he
does not.
that out of $500 cases which might
have been pushed, only 396 were
prosecuted, and that the only samples
of food examined were those sent in
by wholesalers.
The Medical club is the one which
started the agitation in the state for
the isolation of tuberculosis cases.
The club is simply intensely inter-
ested in gaining for Minneapolis and
the state the enforcement of the pure
food law
I'VE see the consequences, said
Dr.. HartZell to-day. Babies are
dying in the summer time from the
use of adulterated milk, and when we
cut food off we find the patients often
get well alone. The conditions are
vastly inimical to public health
The pure food committee was APP
pointed a year ago and has been
working hard.
"A Big CUT Caps Ia. Hose Is.
~ ~