The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-08-01
THE PURE FOOD LAW
Beneficient Results Have ATTENDED the
Forward Movement Of Indiana
State Legislature.
HOW THE PEOPLE PROFIT BY IT
The Consumer Relieved Of the Fear
Of Unw.ttIngIy Buying Unwholesome
and Deleterious Foodstuffs-Reform
Due Almost Entirely to Republican
Legislators.
Especial Correspondence


Indianapolis, Ind, July 31.-Ths
first report of the State Board OF
Health on the enforcement OF the new
Indiana pure food law shows that
wonderful progress Is being mace.
Such a great reform is already aprar-
ent as to warrant the prediction that
within a very short time no house
wife need have fear as to the purity
of any article she may buy. even in
an obscure store.
This reform. which Is due almost
entirely to Republican legislators. ma
tional as well as state. Is so far-reach-
ing that every family In the great
Hoosier commonwealth win be az
fected
Up to this time Indiana has been
dumping ground for impure foods
made at Chicago and other large CEN
tiers. There was no weapon with
which the health officers could meet
the situation, and 1t Is estimated that
impure food and drugs cost thousands
Of lives. In fact. 1t will never be
known what the loss of life amount
ed to.
People Slow to Move.
Notwithstanding the notorious evils
of the old system. the public was slow
to take up with the pure food move
ment. The expense was heralded as
an objection to It. Some Of the Re-
publican legislators who took an &C
tive part In agitating It were hailed
az cranks.
It was significant Of the general
makeup Of the party that the pure
food bills were opposed by the Dem.
ocrats. They stood out against the
appeal for better conditions as long
az possible on the specious plea that
Il would be unwise and therefore un-
necessary for the state to spend the
money and go to the trouble Of In
specting food and drugs.
The people could do Il themselves
or take the consequences. they said.
Even when they were shown what the
consequences were, they didn't join
in the movement for the betterment of
the cause Of humanity until they saw
that the fight had been won by the
Republicans.
The inspection Begun.
After the law was enacted by the
recent legislature the State Board
of Health set about Immediately to
enforce It. One Of the provisions was
that inspectors should be appointed
with full authority to visit any place
where food or drugs were made or
sold and to take samples from which
an analysis could be made.
From that time the state labora-
tory of hygiene at the capitol building
dNds Of samples were brought In BY
the vigilant inspectors and they were
examined as rapidly as possible. A
record Of every analysis was made 50
that the health officers would have
evidence for prosecutions II necessary.
Although the whole project of enforce
ment OF the law is In its infancy, the
splendid progress is q tribute TO the
men In charge and to the party that
Is responsible for the enactment OF
the good law.
Conditions Are Better.
The following Is an extract from
the report Of the pure food inspectors:
Following instructions to inspect
ors In regard to sanitary conditions.
flfty-six cities and towns have already
been visited. and 1887 business
places have been examined. Out Of
4s1 grocery stores. seventeen were
found to be In an excellent condition:
ITO were good; 22e fair; % poor, and
10 bad. The places reported as being
In poor or bad condition were usually
unclean or poorly lighted and venti-
lated. OF the 302 meat markets In
spected, six were In excellent condi-
ton, 80 good. 165 fair, 20 poor and Is
bad. The meat shops were usually
condemned as being poor or bad pc