The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1905-03-25
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
MINNESOTA DAIRY AND FOOD
rs, 81 COMMISSION. = I.
Gl% IL Bulletin No. /. .f. 5sst$ e
Bulletin n No.
st. Paul, MINI, March 6, 1904.

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In line with the announced purpose Of
the present Dairy and Food Com mission,
to issue bulletins OF information to the
public from tune to- time, concerning
food products, and our state laws gov
erning them, we shall at different times
submit brief synopsis of our work, and
endeavor to place before the public in
formation which may be of material val
ue.
A complete report of the work of the
department, including reports of analy-
SOS made, salaries paid, expenses incur
red, ETC., is published bienrially, and is
submitted to the state legislature, as re-
CURED by law. A copy of this report Is
mailed to all who request it, but the
great majority of our people do not even
see copy of this report. Thus they
lose much of the benefit which the work
of this department might accomplish for
them we're they to obtain information OF
our findings.
1t will be impossible for us to make
report Of each analysis made in our lab
oratory, and at the same time furnish
readable articles. We do not wish to
burden the readers of this bulletin with
ii mass Of figures which the average
person would not care to study. Our
plan Is rather to furnish information in
such form that it may be instructive
and practical.
We shall from time to time publish
reports of analysis of samples and sup.
pIement these with explanatory readers,
which we hope may be of benefit to
those who desire to become better in
formed in regard to our pure food laws,
and the quality of products being plac-
ed upon the market.
The intent of our pure food laws is
included in the following two short par
agraphs:
First.-To prevent the manufacture
or sale Of food product deleterious to
health.
Second.-To let the people know what
they are buying, and that they are really
getting what they pay for.
The work of the department is more
concerned with the latter than the for
mer, not because it is of more conse-
quence (because the. health of the peo.
pie is most importantly. but
because there3 are few dealers who
care to run the risk Of putting goods on
the market which contain Ingredients
injurious ingredients.
A few years ago many of the manufac-
turers of food products did not hesitate
to place upon the market articles which
were injurious to the public health as
long as they could make money for
themselves by dong so. Since the
strict enforcement of our food laws are
carried out by the department this
practice has been almost wholly done
away with.
About two years ago the department
found several samples of havoring ex-
tracts on sale in the state which con-
tanned wood alcohol. A crusade was
lnaugurated against these goods and
they we're practically driven from the
market. One big Chicago firm in en-
deavoring to excuse their action IN offer
ing these goods for sale in Minnesota
claimed that they we're manufactured
for the negro trade in the South and
that they had reached Minnesota by
mistake in shipping. The action of
wood alcohol on the human system is to
produce blindness, and these unscrupu-
lous manufacturers we're willing, for the
profit there was in the business, to foist
upon the ignorant element of the South
a poison most deadly in it's nature
Prosecution, or even persecution, is too
good for such people-hangipg would
better fit the crime.