The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-04-13
SPEECH BY FOWLER.
Inspector Talks to Merchants on the
Subject Of Pure Food.
From MOndaY'S Daily

Subject Of Pure Food.
From Mondays Daily.
The following is a synopsis of a speech
delivered recentiv before the Merchants
association at Graceyille by Food In
spector j. G. Fowler:
"The object of food is two fold, first,
to supply food to the vital forces, see
ond, to build up the body and supply
waste. Pure food is as necessary as pure
and to insure superior mental and pry-
air to insure a superior mental and phys
zeal development Our beautiful state
is wonderfully rich in food products, our
lakes and streams abound with the choic-
est of the fnny tribe, we are blessed
with pure air, pure water and an invig-
Grating climate In fact everything in
Grating climate. In fact everything in
nature has been given to us that goes to
make up healthy and prosperous peo-
pie. When nature has done so much in
our behalf, it were passing strange and
even suicidal if we did not do our ut
most to keep our food supply free from
deleterious authorizations, ard yet in
these days of greed and money getting
it is no small undertaking to ferret out
the frauds that are continually being
put on the market with a perseverance
worthy of better cause. Not many
years ago the state was flooded with all
kinds of fraudulent food connections. To-
day the state is the cleanest in the I'm
ion and yet there is much more to ac-
complish and it is only eternal vigilance
that will make us successful in our eff
forts. Every consumer is entitled to
choose as to the kind and quality of the
food he wishes to purchase. For instance
when he asks for honey and pays the
price of pure honey he should not be
given glucose mixture When he asked for
maple syrup and pays the price of pure
maple syrup he should not be given glu-
cose and cane syrup favored with a
small quantity of maple syrup. When
he asks for red current Jelly he should
not be given apple jelly with currant
flavor and colored red Within a decade
or two, aniline or coal tar dyes have
come into use as coloring for food. They
are better known to the house wife as
diamond dies. What objects have the
manufacturers of food products in-view in
the use of colors? First, to artifcally
enhance the value of the article and sec
ond to conceal and cover up some infer
iority, defect or gross adulteration. In
these days of graft and deception, the
thinking consumer knows that the dis
honest manufacturer does not hesitate to
use coloring matter to cover up the poor
quality of his goods. The intelligent
consumer is suspicious of the goods.
They are in appearance of uniform color
and qulaity. If they were uncolored he
could use his judgment as to the appear
ance and quality. As it is, he has no
confidence in the goods.
"Before | close these remarks I want
to say something about the catalogue
hauses and box car merchants To a
great extent these concerns are respon-
sibe for the wholesale counterfeiting of
merchandise that is being carried on in
this country. They had use for this
kind of goods therefore they encouraged
their manufacture, for it is well known
that these concerns cannot furnish any
article of merit cheaper than the home
merchant, unless accompanied by list
of goods that have no merit These CON
Germs take all the seconds" the factor
les have and order more, directing that
the weight be lightenel or less work be
done on the goods or anything that will
cheaper them. This method of obtaining
cheap goods holds good in relation to
everything that is necessary to the wei
fare of the people. These eastern cat
aloguc and supply houses, by selling
fraudulent goods and representing them
to be genuine have done more harm to
the pockets and health of the people
than an epidemic of small poX"