The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-22
SLATER REPLIES TO
The MANUFAC1 1IURERs
sg HI g4 ~ 85
COMMISSIONER REPEATS THAT
COLOR WAS ARTIFICIAL.
Attack by New York Firm Calls Forth
Special Bulletin from State Depart
ment - Manuf facturers Invited to
Come Into State and Stand Trial.

e. *. Slater, state dairy and food
commissioner, has issued special bull
letin in reply to the attack made on the
department by New York manufactur-
ers. They have challenged the correct
ness Of an analysis OF their wares, and
denied the use of artificial coloring
matter. They challenged the depart
goods. This Mr.. Slater declines to do
saying that the department. has not
funds for such work. Instead, he in
vites the firm to come into the state
and stand trial on three other cases,
where the department. chemist has
found artificial coloring matter. This
is the only way, he says, to prove the
state chemist right or wrong in his
analysis. The bulletin says in part:
Mr.. slater's Reply.
The publicity feature OF the campaign for
pure foods authorized by law in this state, and
carried out by this department, has resulted
in accomplishing far greater results than even
the imposition of fines against dealers.
Proof of this is found in the attempt Of a New
York firm to cast discredit on the findings OF
the state chemist and the work OF this de-
partment for executing that feature Of our
state law which requires the department to
issue bulletins Of information from time to time
They propose to pose as martyrs and appeal to
the people Of the state to accept their state
ment as to the quality OF their goods, as op-
posed to the findings of the state chemist.
Space forbids my calling attention to all OF
the complaints contained in their volum1nous
advertising edition. Their chief complaint ap-
pears to be that the department did not aban-
don all other work to carry on special in
vestigation Of their goods. Chief Chemist Hort
the sample of preserves and the second an
alysis only verified his FIRST findings.
That firm received regular notice from the
department after the chemist had mace his
report. The law does not require the depart
ment to do this, but this course is taken in
order to give manufacturers an opportunity
to take cases up with their dealers IN u, lnls
state and decide upon course of action. The
firm in question: however, instead of instruct
ing the dealer to stand trial and thus bring
| about opportunity to have the question OF
| the purity OF the goods decided in court, no
titled the retailer that they had no interest ir
his prospective case and dictated letter to
this department ridiculing the findings of Chem
ist HortVet and In later communications chal
lenged the department to an extensive examl
| nation Of their goods. This will be done II
| the regular course Of the work.
| Because the department did not make ttl
| other business subservient to their demand, the
manufacturers conclude that they have. beer
| 'maligned,'' "persecuted," etc. .. 81
The department in bulletining their goods
| only followed the course that has been in
| stituted in all cases where manufacturers neg
| lected or refused to make their goods compl!
with the law. Later they claim that the sam
pie was from an old shipment into the state
| Had they ventured this information at MIS-
| and had this been fact they would hay
| been given ample opportunity to prove thei
| willingness, to comply with our pure food law
by combining our later antlysis to their nev
| shipments. fSh .--.l. ~ Ssrr r. g.
| The sample in question was billed to be re
tailed Oct. Is, 1903, and was illegal unde
the law in force at that time. This and th
] samples examined later were original pack
ages delivered to the laboratory tightly sealed
Found Color Again. ~
Mr.. Slater then gives the results o
three more analyses made by the stat
chemists Of goods shipped into th
state. last October. Samples of pre-
served STRAWBERRIES, raspberries an
red cherries were all found to contai
artificial coloring matter. The bulle
tin then says: - !
The whole matter is bound up in the que
| ton of whether our chemist is mistaken
all Of the analyses he has made of their prot
lucts. He is prepared to defend such analyses
and the manufacturers should be prepared
defend their products in court instead of al
pealing to the people of the state who are
favor Of having our pure food laws enforced
If they are SO positive that the findings
Chemist Hortvet not correct, let the
| accept the service of warrant and have tt
matter settled in court, the only proceedul
this department can take under the law. Th
certainly should be considered as an accep
ance Of their challenge to prove our positio