The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-01-21
PURE rood BILL.
Vermont Senators Interested Will
Be OF Vast Interest to Maple Sugar
Makers

are just now deeply interested in a
pure food bill that has been presented
in both Houses OF Congress The
purpose of the bill rs to prevent the
adulteration, misbranding and imitat-
ing of foods, beverages, candies,
drugs and condiments, and for regu-
lating interstate commerce therein.
The bill has already been favorably
reported by the House committee on
interstate and foreign commerce, is
now before the Senate committee on
interstate commerce and, it is gener-
ally believed, will be favorsbly re.
ported therefrom and finally passed by
both Houses.
The interest OF the Vermont dele
cation is particularly because of the
effect the law would have in pro-
tecting Vermont's maple sugar inter-
ests from the many limitations that
now flood the market in the form of
sugar and syrup. pslmed off as the
genuine Vermont article. The prsc
tice OF this deception has grown until
il is real menace to the maple sugar
industry in Vermont. New York, Ohio
and Michigan. and whether the sugar
season is a success or complete
failure there is always an abundance
Of the so-called genuine article for
sale in the city markets.
The pure food bill calls for the Or
ganization of chemical division of
the department OF agriculture which
shall have charge of the inspection OF
food, drugs, etc. By the terms of the
bill the director of the bureau of
chemistry is required to procure from
time to time samples of food and
drugs, offered for sale in original
packages in any State or Territory
other than that in which they have
been manufactured or produced, or
from foreign country, or intended
for export to foreign country. These
will be subjected to rigid analysis
upon the result of which the liability
of the manufacturer or producer will
be determined. The offense Of sell
ing or Offering for sale, Shipping or
delivering for shipment into another
State Or Territory, or foreign country,
any food or drug which comes under
the ban of the bureau, is punishable
with fine not exceeding 5000 for the
first offense, and for the second and
subsequent offenses fine of not more
than $500. or imprisonment for not
more than one year, or both.
The term drug as used in this
bill includes all medicines and prep
arations recognized in the American
PharmacopGia for internal or exter-
nal use. The term food includes
all articles used for food, drink, con-
dictionary or condiment by man or
domestic animals, whether mixed or
compounded.
In the definitions of adulteration
and misbranding given in this bill
the following can be readily applied
as calculated to restrict the industry
of initiating maple sugar:
If it be an imitation of or offered
for sale under the name of another
article. -
If it be mixed, colored, powdered,
or stained in manner whereby dam
age or inferiority is concealed, so that
such product, when sold, shall deceive
or tend to deceive the purchaser -
IT it be labeled or branded with
intent so rs to deceive or mislead the
purchaser, or purport to be foreign
product when it is not so, or is an
imitation, either in package or label,
of another substance of previously
established name, or which has been
trademarked or patented.
If any substance or substances has
or have been mixed or packed with it
so as to reduce or lower or injuriously
affect its quality or strength, SO that
such product, when offered for sale,
shall deceive or tend TO deceive the
purchaser. ~
OF course the law, if such it be-
comes, will not prevent the manufact-
urer of imitation maple sugar from
selling his product III the State where.
in it is manufactured, but it will
prevent the flooding of the general
market with spurious articles, to the
detriment of Vermont producers. and
the genuine product of the maple will
i'll all probability become far more
valuable article than it is today. The
great fight against imitation butter
has resulted in wonderful decline in
the amount of oleomargarine manu-
featured, and restrictive legislation
in the matter of food production NE a
whole would doubtless have the same
gratifying effect.
W. w. Husband