The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-07-19
COVERS STALE EGGS.
Commissioner Wright Decides that
Eggs Come Under Provisions of
State Pure Food Law.


This decree has been made by the
state food and dairy commissioner, and
a special department will be built in
the laboratory in which the commission
er will examine food products to deter
mine their marketability under the pure
food law.
Commissioner Wright, after a long
wrestle with the question, has decided
to classify eggs under section eight of
the new law. This rather avoids de-
cision on the question of whether an
egg that is no longer an egg is impure
food or adulterated food.
A committee of egg men called on
Mr.. Wright Tuesday and puzzled him
with the new question. 1t never had
occurred to him that he might be called
on to determine whether an egg actual
ly was added or not. He studied the
law with care and looked up all the pre-
cedents that the book poultry journals
furnished and decided that eggs ought
to be inspected.
"But," said an egg man, IAN egg isn't
sense, is it,
81 know" said Mr.. Wright, "but then,
what is the difference between an egg
that is added and potted chicken made
out Of pigs feet"
81 give it up" said the dealer, "but an
egg that is dead ought to go to the I'M
dertaker instead of the food and dairy
commissioner
At the end Of the debate it was de-
cided that the law clearly gave the man
charged with enforcing the pure food
law as much jurisdiction over things
that naturally develop into the jurisdic-
ton of the law, as over the things
which are willfully manufactured with
a view to violating the law. Theoreti-
cally, there is difference between al
egg of great age which simply goes into
the notice of the law and Jug Of
cherries made Of green plums and q
choice assortment of analyne dyes. But
the great state Of Iowa will undertake
to see that neither is offered or sold te
the people Of this fair state.
The question of whether an ancient
egg may be classed as adulterated wa.
not quite settled. The law seems to l9s
broad enough to cover it without deGn
ing whether it is adulterated or not. o
course the law was designed for thu
punishment Of the man who makes ant
sells food product that he willfull.
and knowingly and maliciously ha
adulterated or knows to be adUlterated
Now, there is no known way to hau
nature before police magistrate AM
fine her from So to 500, according t
! the law; SO that in the case Of addle
!. eggs the manufacturer plainly escapes
J But the sellers can be fined.
This is one place that the iobbe
laughs. The eggs come from the cour
; try, for the most part. The n,anufactul
beY. The law was SO framed that tn
] retail seller Of the impure or adultera
4 ed fooastufTs could compel the Jobbe
from whom he bought to make him goo
? on all fines collected on account of tt
? bad food offered for sale. Bmt in tn
. case retail seller will have to take h
own risk unless he deals in cold storas
l -eggs9
n And whoever sold storage eggs?
Il President G. E. Ellis, Of Cedar Rapid
II Vice President e. W. Rogers, of HUI
boldt H. Ryensberger, of Pella, and
dozen other members Of the Iowa Es
Dealers association, where ian the co
ference with commissioner Wright We
terday morning relative to the subje
and they will now issue circulars ca
ing attention to the fact that the sta
has decided the pure food law, section
III takes in eggs.
III 1t is suspected that the execute
III council thought such a thing as tn
IL was possible when they decided
II remove the food and dairy commissio
III er's office from the capitol to separa
II building located to the opposite of d
windward. 1t IS estimated that halS
II billion eggs ape eaten in Iowa eva
" year.
II OF course the state produces nothia
II but the purest eggs, but occasionally
is expected that tine food commission
II may have to pass on the question
Il whether one is eligible for certifica
il under the age clause of the pure TO
b law. There may be public buildings
states or nations far remote where tt
u work of an egg laboratory would not
noticed amidst the grafts not so in low
Changes of salaries of postmasters
\ towns in this section of the state, bas
I on business of the past year, are: A