Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-06
.BOX.CAR NJ, ,tHANI
HTS y;JCKY ROAD
Means Found OF Preventing Him
From Doing Business in
Iowa
PURE FOOD LAW PUTS HIM OUT
inspectors, knowing the General ouai.
ity of Good. Sold by Transients,
Making War on Them-LocaI Mer-
chants Glad to Help-ouestion Of In
terstate Commerce Enters.
to Times Republican.


Des 'Mojhes, Sept. e.-The first So
luton of the box-car merchant trou-
BILE has been discovered by the state
food and dairy commission department.
The discovery comes inadvertently in
the enforcement of the pure food law.
Every city and state has attempted to
shut out the box car merchants and
has failed
A few days ago Assistant Commits
sioner Smith at Walker Iowa. near
Cedar Rapids. caused The arrest of a
box car merchant on showing Of the
analysis of his goods. AT Waterloo
Inspector Siegel VenDeBogart caused
the arrest of two such merchants on
the complaint that they refused to sell
him samples for ANALYSES. In both
cases there were fines ir justice court
and the box car merchants are en-
deavoring to avoid the state food and
dairy commissioner inspectors. Inc
retail merchants association has no-
titled its members to keep a close
watch and to notify the state commits
sioner every time a box car merchant
comes to town.
The whole thing is hinged on the old
question of what constitutes an orig
inal package At Walker, the man
arrested on showing that the goods
were OF pure, paid two fines IN JUS
tice court. He paid them quietly so as
not to let it get noised about.
But at Waterloo. where different
men were selling the goods from the
same concern and for the same con-
Germ. they made resistance. When
the inspector tried to GUY some SAM
Piles he was given to understand that
he couldn't have the samples and that
his room was considered OF greater
value than his company. He had them
arrested for refusing to sell him sam
pies. They were fined $25 and costs
each. and refused to ray. Then they
were given a ride in the patrol wagon
to the, county Jail and a representative
of the, company came in the next day
and paid their fine.
The usual custom O.. these box car
merchants is to ship the goods in and
then remove them to some vacant
store building for dis tribution. The
only difference between their dealings
and that of any local merchant is that
they get the orders before they ship
in the goods and after they have de-
livered their shipment they close up
shop till they get sorne more orders
and make another shipment Of goods
According to the belief Of H. r.
Wright, state food and dairy commits
sioner, they come clearly under the
rule relating to state business. If they
receive a lot of orders for lemon ex-
tract the bottles of extract all come in
the same package. The delivery men
break the package and then make the
deliveries. This makes it state busi-
ness and subject to the state pure food
law.
If citizen ordered two bottles of
lemon extract, 25 pounds of sugar and
a pound Of coffee and the firm doing
this box car business should send the
lot done in one package or each of
the packages wrapped separately and
consigned to the person buying them
and the delivery men did nothing
more than to make thu, deliveries and
collect the money, it would be inter-
state business and the state couldn't
touch it. But the box car people all
do the other way They then COM
pete directly with the local merchant
and that is just what every city coun
Gil and village board of trustees has
been trying to break UP. The attempt
has been made many times by IL |
censing them but this never seems to
the results for one cause |
or another.
The retailers over the state now
propose to have rigid test of the |
goods by the pure food inspectors ev-
cry time box car merchant comes to t
town. If the goods are. all pure moth I
not pure and both the public and the |
local merchants get the worst of it.
The first appeal to the courts from
Justice court in a case under the pure
food law has been taken by the firm
of Whalen & Foley of Grand juno
ton. They were fined $50 and costs
for having on hand batch of baking |
powder that was not properly labeled
and have appealed to the district
court.
There is a report that comes very
direct that Howard Tedford, ex-state
binder, and editor of the Bedford
News Reporter is supporting A. !.
Smith OF Mt Ayr, for congress against |
w. P. Hepburn. Mr. 1'edford's news
paper contained very fiattering men
ton Of Mr. Smith when his candidacy
was announced some time in July. Mr.. |
Tedford having the reputation of being
such steadfast standpatter. politi-
clans are naturally declaring that they
are from Missouri.
]. r. Sage who has been director OF
the Iowa weather and crop service
.,noa q. .e+ahIishnent eighteen years