The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-11
. I
EXPERTS WISDOM
FOR NEW FOOD LAW
Important Work OF Arranging
Administration of Act Is
s. Under Way. II
BY w. w. Jermane.

Washington, July lit is true that
congress made no appropriation at the
late session for the carrying into eff
feet of the purefood law, but that
omission, which was the result of an
law will not 60 into effect until the 1st
of January, 1907. By that time the
short session of congress will have been
under way for almost a month and
the necessary sum will probably have
been provided in an emergency appro-
priation bill which it is always Gus
tomary and necessary to pass in the
early weeks of the session.
Meanwhile, the secretary of agricul-
ture, the secretary of commerce and Ia
bor and the secretary of the treasury,
who are charged with the administra-
tlon Of the law, are to put their heads
administrative regulations. The i'm
portance of this work cannot be over
estimated. Upon the wisdom displayed
by the men who superintend it will
depend entirely the working effect Of
the new law. The work cannot be hur-
ried.
In the very nature Of the case, weeks
and months of careful, painstaking Ia
Dor must precede any systematic at
tempt to put the law into effect 1t
was knowledge of this fact which
caused congress to name the first of the
year as the Clme Wnen Cne law snOu1u
be operative.
Like Eng1and's Law.
The three secretaries named will
have the benefit Of all the experts in
their respective departments, and it Is
believed that the result Of their labors
will be entirely satisfactory. The pres
lations as finally drafted, and reserve
the right to amend them. And after
these regulations have been approved
by himself they will be passed on to
the attorney general for an opinion as
to their workability from legal point
part of the inquiry, for it is obvious
that there will be numerous suits be-
fore the law is generally accepted, and
the president will want to know in
advance of suits being brought, either
by the government or against it, that
the regulations will stand the test Of
the courts
1t is an interesting fact that the
pure-food law is almost identical in
form with the bill on the same subject
which passed the senate eighteen years
ago, when the agitation first began.
But that was long before the days Of
the muckraker and of the crystalliza-
ate for it's too conservative and some
what retroactive policy. The senate
bill Of that day was defeated in the
house. as the present law would have
been but for the pressure of the coun-
try as a whole, a pressure which the
house did not dare resist too long. The
new law is also said to be almost ver-
batim copy Of the existing law of Eng
land, and where there are departures
from that law it is claimed that the
American law is the better of the two.
Will Enforce It Rigidly.
Officers of the government do not ex-
pect that there will be much difficulty
in the enforcement Of the law. Not to
exceed 5 per cent Of the manufacturers
and dealers, 1t is said, will try to evade
it. The others will comply with it of
their own accord.
While the three secretaries are busy.
ing themselves with the working out OF
proper regulations, the chemistry bu
reau of the department Of agriculture
is to make careful test of the effect
of cold storage on poultry, fish, game
and eggs This test will last for almost
six months, and the results of it will be
regulations being changed to conform
to it before going into effect: The cold
storage test for fruits has already beer
made Fruit can be kept in storage
for three or four months and improved
After fruit becomes thoroly ripe, how
ever, II deCer1OraLoS, even III storage
The regulations will take note Of this
fact.
Indications point to about year az
the limit Of time for stored meats, ant
If the tests bear out these indicat ions
something will happen to the business
of commission men in cities like, Chi
cago, who corner the market fol-. fowls
game or certain other kinds Of mea
Supply after holding their goods for ;
year and perhaps for two years O
more. The storage egg is also to b
condemned, unless all the signs fail
It has been discovered that at time
eggs are in storage for several year
before going on the market. The house
wife who can pick out the storage eg
by it's musty smell will be glad to knoy
gated by DR.. Wiley, government chem
ist, and that it is to be done away wit
in the regulations for the enforcement
of the new law; that is, if the presen
tests demonstrate that it ought to b
done away with, as it is believed the