The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-20
HOT WORDS PASS
Secretary of Board Of Health in
a Controversy.
Continental Creamery Official
Calls Him Down.
STANDS BY HIS GUNS.
Butter Packages Must BE of
Standard Weight.
Ignore the State
Fumigation Law.

Hot corr .spondence which has been
passing recently between S. ]. Crum-
bine, secretary of the Kansas state
board of health, and H. F. Jensen. vice
president cf the Continental creamery,
was read this afternoon a the annual
meeting of the Kansas state board of
health al the state house. The cores
pondence was embodied in the annual
report of DR.. Crumbine, and related to
the recent disclosures concerning short
weight butter, and butter containing
more than the proper amount of water.
The meeting commenced at 80, and
is being attended by members of the
board, wholesale grocers who are inter-
ested in the pure food law, and cream
cry men.
The trouble between the state board
of health and the creameries started
with the publication Of the october
bulletin of the board containing the re-
suit of analyses made by Prof. ]. t.
Willard of the State Agricultural col
lege.
A letter from Mr.. Jensen dated Octo-
Der 2S, contains this statement:
We have considered ourselves engag-
ed IN a legitimate industry, but from
reading your comments and the COM
ments of Professor J. T Willard it
seems that you don't think so, but that
you feel we are a lot of scheners that
are lying awake nights figuring out
some sort OF plan to defraud the pub
Now in regard to the weights of
butter, this product is so constituted
that it does not retain its moisture
We might put out a is ounce print to-
day and the chances are that it would
weigh 1512 ounces in a weeks time and
10 ounces two weeks from now and
the older it gets the less it viii weigh
especially If it is subjected to hot tenn
!
state board Of health and its counsel
loTs and chemists would do well to
have representative committee of
Kansas creamery men before they go
to work and slander the product"
To this DR.. Crumbine replied as fol-
lows:
Your courteous letter Of the 27th
received and coAtents noted 1 would
be glad if you would be good enough
to point out wherein either the state
board of health or myself have SANDER
ed your butter product. The matter
OF the evaporation of the moisture is
fully covered in the comments of Prof.
Willard, and as he is a recognized au-
thority On.dairy products, probably IS
good a one as we have in the country,
the state board of health has full con-
fidence in his findings and the conclu-
siOns drawn therefrOm, and I think the
public generally have that same con-
fdence.
I'VE did not attribute motives of
fraud to the creameries except where
such motives are so apparent as to lead
to no other conclusion. We are anx-
ious to help build u pthis great indus
try, and it will give US more pleasure
to publish analyses of your butter,
which analyses show that it conforms
with our rules and regulations than to
publish such as do not And incident
ally. such publication Will be a great
advertisement to creameries whose
products show up full weight and the
required standards of butter fat and
moisture.
Still Keep 1t Up, Says Crumbine
These samples from the letters il
lustrate the general trend of the cor
respondence, and Or. Crumbine fol-
lows 1t UP with a report of a number
of other analyses made Of the Contin
entail Creamery company products. In
commenting upon these late analyses,
he quotes Prof. J. T. Willard, who
made the analyses as follows:
1T will be noted that in every case
the net weight is below sixteen ounces
and in four cases is below fifteen
ounces. The percentage OF moisture
exceeds the legal limit (15.99) in only
one instance, No. 64. This number
naturally shows a low per cent of fat
also. Nos 62 and 63 should be re-
garded as somewhat deficient in butter
fat In no case was boric acid or bor-
az detected, or any indication OF re-
novation or oleomargarin observed.
Ger Fumigation Law Wanted.
Dr. CTum pine IN MS report also Calls
attention to the fact that the Santa
Fe Rock Island and Missouri Pacific
have failed to comply with the passen-
ger car fumigation and cleansing rules
adopted by the board. He says that the
Pullman com pany, the Union Pacific
Frisco and Katy have all adopted tho
rules He asks that law be enacted
requiring companies to cleanse their
cars.
May Bring Pure Food Prosecutions.
In the report Dr. Crumbine asks in
structions from the board concerning
the bringing of prosecutions for viola
tions of the state pure food law. DR..
Crumbine says:
Thus far no suits have been instituted
for violation of the sdulteration lNws:
First, because we desire to give whole
salers and retailers an opportunity to
dispose Of such illegal stock as they
might have on hand; and. second. we
have depended entirely upon the moral
persuasion of publicity which has Do
doubt been mighty factor in iereT-
mining the action of food manufacturers
and dealers to comply cheerfully ana
heartily with the boards requirements
1t is the intention of the board = insti-
tute suits and the collection of fines for
all future viola tions. I desire specific
instructions on this matter
Contagion for the Year.
DR.. Crumbine's report on contagious
diseases for the year is as follows:
Typhoid tever- Cases Deaths.
1879 --.-.-------------- ---------.- 14zS ~.
1905 100 zb7
Scarlet fever
1873 ..---..-----.----.--- 5Sa5 @ l5
1876 .-..-----.-.-- -.-.----l14f ~
Dtnhtheria- -,
1873 --.-.----.------.---.. lS9 81
1906 .-..---.-------2 259
1915 .,-..........-........... ss
1906 ..--.--.---.----..------.-. 1871 5