The Delta independent., 1906-08-03

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 n delicatessen store and n
corner grocery with cereals, jams.
jellies. tins Of peas. tomatoes, corn,
prepared spices. bottles of whiskey and
wine. imnorted sausages, branded
cherries and other edibles and drink
ables scattered over two tables.
Representative Mann proceeded 70
demonstrate to the House through
these various food products the neccS-
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 to spend time in adul-
terating. He read circulars from uu-
merous concerns offering for sale 4
certain grade OF adulterant which
could be used to produce pepper or
almost any other Of the spices with
some slight modification. AS he srIt-
tered package of this over his desk
the members in the vicinity starred
back in order to avoid the usual sn,-'z-
ing which follows the inhalation of 4
small quantity of pepper. But they
We're reassnrcd by the 'CrocCryman"
that 1t was not harmful. for wi 10
II was called pepper it was moth =
but ground olive pits. He convul>~d
the House when he read the price Il
Of adulterants showing that they were
offered to the trade for $50 ton in
fve-ton lots. and that Mt that rate thny
were guaranteed To make the tinrSt
knows. is sold by the ounce. He made
the statement that even the pepper
berry itself was adulteratcd hy a
clererly contrived manufacture OF tap
loco colorcd with lamp black.
Possibly the most striking demon
stration of the afternoon was one with
n bottle of red cherries. These cher
ries. 1t was explained. We're picked
green, and that after being hlcachrd
out white by the use of powerful
acid, had been colored the brilliant
red by the use of coal tar dyr-a
deadly poison IL used in large Quanu-'
ties. Representative Mann dipped n
piece Of white cloth IN the Juice" Vt
these cherries. and 1t partook of Il
brilliant red as though it had just come
from dyers.
Olive oil, explained Mr.. Mann. Is a
product which Is in most cases, adul-
terated. In many instances the coun-
terfeit is merely American cotton Sod
ola wholesome and satisfactory
dressing for salad. but II costs about
u as much as real olive oil. and the
American buyer certainly does not
care to purchase a dressing for four
times its actual worth.
H1vELESS HONEY.
One of the freak exhibits was n
bottle of honey" which. in order to
complete the assurance of the buyer
that the article was genuine. contained,
as IL by accident, the body of Il real
bee. yet the whole mess was pure and
simple glucose, and had never been
near hive. much less a comb. The
hive probably was ten story fac
tory In one of the large cities.
A bottle OF "Freezinc" 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-
ultted that it would stop the action Of
nature on meats. he claimed that the
prcscrrativc itself was actually poi.on-
GUS, containing sulphidc OF soda with
red coal tar dye aud could no: he
used safely upon human food.
The public Is unwittingly defrauded
to great extent through short weight
and short measure in package goods,
explained Mr.. Mann. and he insisted
that the manufacturers should he COM
PEELED to state on the label the guam
tity contained In the bottle or carton.
In line with this was dramatic dem
onstration when the Chicago pure food
expert held up before the House a