Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-08-14
GOLDFISH CONTAINING BORAx
CANNOT BE SOLD AFTER JAN. I.
EMERY FOR ENFORCEMENT
Dairy and FOOD Commission Ready
TO Prosecute VioIators or Statute
Boarding Houses Fear 5anshment
of Codfish-Conviction of Offenders
Much Easier Under New Law.
Madison, Aug. 10.

MJQlSOu, Aug. III.
ct appears that boric acid and borax
when continuously administered for
long period, create disturbances OF ap-
peuCe, digestion and of health.
Accepting this statement or DR.. H.
w. Wiley, chief OF the bureau OF chem
istry in the United States department
OF agriculture, as a fact, the legislature
during it's last session passed law
making it a mlsdemeanor for any
dealer 10 sell, offer for sale or have in
his possession with intent to sell for
consumption within the state, any food
article containing an ingredient possess
sing preserVatiVe OF deleterious ef-
feet sucn as boric acid or borax and
many other specified chemicals.
The sweeping nature OF this law Is
being recognized now by dealers gen
orally 1t will Danish from the mark
ct Goldfish which is, contrary to general
belief, preserved in borax. Butchers.
especially during the summer months
preserve meats and sausages with the
aid of borax, which the consumers are
compelled 10 eat, Win injurious 0u0cL.
To Danish Goldfish?
Although the law has been pub,
lsned, CONSERVATION was caused
among some dealers when it became
known that many staple articles otfood,
unless prepared in some Otner way
than with boraX, would have to be dis
carded. The situation in the boarding
mouse where goldfish is considered as
next to the staff OF life, will be
changed alter January /, 1906, when
the law goes into effect. 1t will be
prunes and hash or starvation. Coz
fish, creamed, boiled or disguised in
any other way will have to be banished
from the plate of the sad-eyed board
er and the hungry college student
This seems to be the contention OF
some of the dealers VINO have been in
formed by the wholesale concerns that
Goldfish cannot be preserved by other
means than bOraX.
To Enforce the Law.
Manufacturers have persistently in
CURED of Dairy and Food Commission
er J. @. Emery whether the law will
Danish from the market Goldfish, ana
asking if the product can be preserved
any other way than with borax. Mr..
Emery invariably replied that it was
not his business to suggest how to
prepare Goldfish for the market, but TO
enforce the law. The penalty for the
violation of the law is a fine of not less
than $25 nor more than 500 or impris-
onment in the county jail not less
than 80 nor more tnan 60 days.
Easier to Convict.
Heretofore there existed law
which made it a misdemeanor to sell
any food article containing an ingred-
lent deleterious to health. This was
the proper exercise of the police pow
ers of the state, but the definition Of
such injurious ingredient was en-
bodied in the section stating what con,
stitutes an adulterated food. The bur-
den of proof rested upon the dairy and
food commissioner to determine
whether or not the substance was in
furious or deleterious to health.
There being no definite basis to work.
upon, this was generally difficult 10
prove in court and convictions were
few. The present state law specifies
what ingredients are injurious and ali
the dairy and food commissioner has
to prove is That the food article con
tanning that ingredient was sold.
A shore time ago Chicago wholesal-
ers sent notices to their cutomers that
they could not sell any more Goldfish
in Wisconsin. 1t is thought that un-
less manufacturers discover a differ.
ent method Of preparing Goldfish than
with borax, no more of it will he sold
in the state.