Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-07-26

products OF the country are adulter-
ated, and how the consumer is de
frauded. The space In front OF the
speakers desk resembled small
section OF a delicatessen store and n
corner grocery with cereals, jams.
Jellies, tins OF peas. tomatoes. corn.
prepared spices. bottles OF wblskey and
wine. lmDorted sausages. branded
cherries and other edlbles and drink
ables scattered over two tables.
Representative Mann proceeded 10
demonstrate to the House through
these various food products the neees-
sity for national pure food law.
one OF the first articles taken up by
the Congressman was the ordinary
acknowledgements TO the lay
mind is considered too cheap for any
manufacturer 10 spend time in adul-
terating. He read circulars from nu-
merous concerns Offering for sale
certain grade of adulterant which
could be used TO produce pepper or
almost any other of the spices with
some slight modification. As he scat
tered n package OF this over his desk
the members In the vicinity started
back I'm order 10 avoid the usual sneeZ-
ing which follows the inhalation of
small quantity OF pepper. But they
were treasured by the "groceryman"
that II was not harmful, for while
II was called pepper II was nothing
but ground olive pits. He Convulsed
the House when he read the price list
OF adulterants showing that they were
offered TO the trade for 500 ton In
five-ton lots. and that at that rate they
were guaranteed TO make the finest
black pepper which. as everyone
knows. is sold by the ounce. He made
the statement that even the pepper
berry itself was adulterated 10y n
cleverly contrlved manufacture of tap
loco colorcd with lamp black.
Possibly the most striking demon
stration OF the afternoon was one with
a bottle OF red cherries. These cher
ries. IL was explained. We're picked
green. and that after being bleached
out white by the use of n powerful
acid, had been colored the brilliant
red by the use OF coal tar dye-a
deadly poison II used in large quantl-
ties. Representative Mann dipped n
piece OF white cloth In the Juice" of
these cherries, and IL partook of a
brilliant red as though IL had just come
from a dyers.
Olive oil, explained Mr.. Mann, Is a
product which Is In most cases, adul-
terated. In many instances the coun-
terfelt Is merely American cotton seed
ola wholesome and satisfactory
dressing for salad. but IL costs about
"a as much as real olive oil. and the
American buyer certainly does not
care TO purchase a dressing for four
times Its actual worth.
HIvELESS HONEY.
One Of the freak EXHIBITS was n
bottle of "honey" which. In order to
complete the assurance of the buyer
thatthe article was genuine. contained,
as II by accident. the body of real
bee, yet the whole mess was pure and
simple glucose, and had never been
near a hive, much less comb. The
hive probably was ten story fac
tory In one of the large cities.
A bottle Of "FreeZine" was exhibited
by Mr. Mann. who explained that this
remarkable article was guaranteed to
preserve meat from the action Of the
air and stop decay. While he ad-
mitted that II would stop the action of
nature on meats, he claimed that the
preventative itself was actually poison
Gus, containing sulphlde of soda with
red coal tar dye and could not be
used safely upon human food.
The public is unwittingly defrauded
to n great extent through short weight
and short measure In package goods,
explained Mr.. Mann, and he insisted
that the manufacturers should be com
PEELED to state on the label the guam
tlty contained In the bottle or carton
In line with this was n dramatic dem
onstration when the Chicago pure food
expert held up before the House d