Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-03-03

People now demnnd the right TO know
exactly what they cat.
To be told by maker or retailer that the
food is "puro' is not satisfactory.
Candy may contain "pure' white clay
or "puIc" dyes and yet be very harmful.
Syuips may contain pure glucose and
yet bo quite digestible and oven bene-
fetal. Tomato catsup may contain q
small amount of salicylic or horacic acid
as "a necessary preservative, which may
agree with one and be harmful to another.
Wheat -four may contain portion OF
corn -four and really be improved Olive
oil may be made of cotton seed oil. Butter
may contain beef suet and yet be nutri-
tious
The person who buys and cats must
protect himself and family, and he has a
right TO, and now demands, a law under
which he can make intelligent selection Of
food
Many pure food bills have been intro
duced and some passed by State legisla-
tures; many have been offered 10 Com
'gress, but an thus far seem Objectionable.
Il has seemed difficult for politicians to
formulate n satisfactory bill that would
protect the common people and yet avoid
harm TO honest makers and prevent end
less trouble 20 retailers. No govt COM
mission or officer has the right to fix
"iood standards" TO define what the
people shall and shall not eat. for what
agrees with one may not agree with another
and such act would deprive the common
/ citizen of his personal liberty The
| Postum Cereal Co., Ltd. perhaps the
largest makers OF prepared foods in the
of the needs of the people and the details
Of the business of the purveyors, Che
retail grocor) and guided by this expert
cnce have prepared "a bill for submission
to Congress which IS intended to accom-
plish the desired ends, and inasmuch as a
/ citizen OF the u. s. has q right TO food
protection even when he enters another
| State it is deemed proper that the govt
/ take control of this matter and provide a
/ national law 20 govern all the states. A
copy OF the bin is herewith reproduced.
Sec. ] governs the maker whether the
food is put up in small packages sealed,
| or I'm barrels, boxes or otherwise.
Sec. governs the retailer who may
open q barrel and sell the food in small
quantities When he puts the goods
into q paper bag he must also enclose a
] printed copy OF the statement of the
maker which was affixed 70 the original
/ pkg and inasmuch as the retailer cannot
undertake to guarantee the statement of
| ingredients he must publish the statement
of the makers and add his own name
and address as a guarantee of his selling
the food as il Is represented 20 him which
| relieves the retailer of responsibility Of
the truth Of the statement and throws It
upon the maker. where 10 properlybelongs.
The remaining sections explain them
selves.
The Postum Cereal Co.. Ltd. for ex-
ample have from the beginning of its
existence printed on the outside of each
and every pkg. of Postum and Grape
Nuts food q truthful and exact statement
of what the contents were made of in
ordor that the consumer might know pre-
cisely what he or she was eating. A per
son desiring 20 buy. for instance. strictly
purO fruit Jelly and willing TO pay the
price has q right TO expect not only m
! equivalent for the cost but a further right
to a certainty as % what he cats. Or hC
may be willing 10 buy at less cost a Jelly
mado part ol iruit juices, sugar and a por-
tion oi glucose. But he must be supplied
with truthful Information OF the iugrc.
dicnls and be permitted 10 use his per.
sonal liberty 70 select his own food ac-
cumiely.
The people who have allowed the slow
murder of infants and adults. by tricky
makers Of food. drink and drugs TO 60 on
about long enough. Duty 20 oneself
family and nation demands that every
man and woman join in au organized
movement 90 clear our people irom this
blight Nou may not be able to 20 per
sonally to Washington 60 impress your
tongues man. hut you can in most
effective way tell him by letter how you
desire him 10 represent you.