The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-02

products of the country are adulter-
ated, and how the consumer is de-
frauded. The space in front of the
speakers desk rcsembled small
section of II delicatessen store and Il
corner grocery with cereals. jams
jellies, tins of peas, tomatoes. corn.
prepared spices. bottles of whiskey and
wine, iMnorted sausages, branded
cherries and other etlibles and drink
ables scattered over two tables.
Representative Mann proceeded to
demonstrate to the House through
these various food products the neces-
sity for national pure food law.
One OF the first articles taken up by
the Congressman was the ordinary
condiment-pepper- to the lay
mind Is considered too cheap for any
manufacturer to spend time in adul-
terating. He read circulars from nu
merous concerns offering for sale II
certain grade of adulterant which
could be used to produce pepper or
almost any other of the spices with
some slight modification. AS he seat
tered n package of this over his desk
the members in the vicinity started
back in order to avoid the usual sneeZ-
Ing which follows the inhalation of n
small quantity of pepper. But they
We're reassurcd by the "groccryman'
that it was not harmful. for while
it was called pepper it was nothing
but ground olive pits. He convulSch
the House when he read the price list
of .adulterants showing that they We're
offered to the trade for $50 a ton in
tiye-ton lots, and that Mt that rate they
We're guaranteed to make the finest
black pepper which. as everyone
knows, is sold by the ounce. lie made
the statement that even the pepper
berry itself was aduteratcd by al
cleverly contrived manufacture of tap
loco colored with lamp black.
Possibly the most striking demon
stration of the afternoon was one With
Il bottle of rcd cherries. These cher
ries. it was explained. were picked
green. and that after being bleached
out white by the use of powerful
acid, had been colored the brilliant
red by the use of coal tar dye-a
deadly poison il used in large quanti
ties. Representative Mann dipped II
piece of white cloth in the Juice" of
these cherries, ana it partool of Il
brilliant red as though it had just come
from Il Divers.
Olive oil. explained Mr.. Mann. is a
product which is in most eases. adul-
terated. In many instances the coun
terfeit is merely American cotton seed
oil--a wholesome and satisfactory
dressing for salad, but it costs about
u rs much rs real olive OIL and the
American buyer certainly does not
care to purchase Il dressing for -four
times It's actual worth.
HIvELESS HONEY.
One of the freak EXHIBITS was Il
bottle of honey which. in order to
complete the assurance of the buyer
that the article was genuine, contained.
us if by accident, the body of Il real
bee. yet the whole mess was pure and
simple glucose, and had never been
near II hive. much less Il comb. The
hive probably was Il ten story fac
tory in one of the large cities.
a bottle of "Frcc2ne" 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
mlttcd that II would stop the action of
nature on meats. he claimed that the
preservative itself was actually poison
Gus. containing sulphide of soda with
red coal tar dye aud could not he
used safely upon human food.
The public Is uuwlttlugly dCfrauded
to n great extent through short weight
and short measure In package goods.
explained Mp. 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 n dramatic dem
onsirntion when the Chicago pure food
expert held up before the House