Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-12-11
BLEACHED FLOUR
Writ Of Prohibition Against.
Judge Pollock IN This
Famous Case Argued in.
Supreme Court


Bleaahed flour was the subject I'm.
der consideration befone the supreme
t court Tuesday Ine day was spent
In arguments pro and con Id the writ
OF prohibition issued by the court
against Judge Pollock Of the Third
judicial district restraining him from
further proceedings in the injunction
granted against Prof Ladd, state pure
food commissioner, to prevent the is.
suance and circulation Of bulletins
against bIeachsd -four. Judge Pollock
was represented in the arguments be.
fore the supreme court Tuesday By
Attorneys N. g. Young and John e,
Watson, and Prof. Ladd was repre-.
scented by Edward Engerud and w. ii.
Barnett.
The proceedings Tuesday were to
determine the jurisdiction Of Judge
| Pollock in issuing al INJUNCTION TO- re.
strain Prof. Ladd from, as the millers
claim. injnring their busines and the
interests of the millers and farmers or
the state by circulating bulletins tend
ing to show that bleached -four was
an adulerated and harmful product.
and should be labelled as Sbleacheds,
and aadulterabed. !" The millers Of the
state, including the Russell Milling
company, the Chaffee iMiller Milling
company the Missouri Valley Milling
company and other institutions. claim
that they will be greatly damaged by
the Intended action OF the pure food
com sioner, that their mills make
Hour for export and that this business
will be damaged and that they win
not be able to compete on the same
footing with the milers OF other
states il Prof. Ladd is permitted to
compel the labelling OF their product
to convey the inference that 1t is i'm
pure or adulterated aour. They claim
that the process of bleaching merely
ages the -four and Whitens III, and
that 1t adds no harmful element, and
IN some cases it is claimed that the
bleaching process improves the -four.
To arrive at a proper understanding
Of the real question ait Issue In the
case, it is necessary to state that for
several years millers, and it is claim.
ed nearly all of the millers Of the
northwest, have been making use Of
patented process for the Quick aging
and bleaching Of flour. This process
consists of passing an electrical dis
charge through column of moist air.
fuzing the oxygen and nitrogen Of the
air and creating a gas. known as per-
oxide of nitrogen. This gas Is passed
through the flour, as it passes to the
receptacles, and tbleachss., 1T makes
At white and adds some of the quail
ties that come from age and natural
bleaching process, White flour is de-
nlanded by a great many consumers.
Prof. Ladd holds that the gas that ~
passed through the -four is an un-
VIII lssome gas, but the millers claim
that the portion of nitrites added foi
the -four is so small la few parts in a
great many million that the -four. is
not in any wa made unWholesome.
1t Is also Claimed by the mil1ers that
this process enables them TO use dur
nm and heavier whEats for the maxi
ing Of flour turning out marketable
prodtlet, which is iii all ways nutri-
tious and wholesome hut would, for.
it's yellow color. prove less easily
{ q able, were ii not for the bleach
n ing This they claim. adds to the
value Of inferior whsats. and does.
not harm the consumer
In support Of their contention that
the bleaching Of flour is not injurious,
The attorneys for the Inillers have
asd before the court 4 report OF an
exhaustive ana ysis OF Hour that has
Cit7GIitNdIg pro-.
cess. made by the state chemist of
Nebraska and citing other analysis
that have been made By eminent
chemists. the conclusion Of the Neb-5
raska ilelnist Is that the auantity of
rlitritSs present III bleached flour is
80 small as not to be injurious and
that bleached -four il not a harmful
produce
All Of these intentions arise in the
arguments before the supreme courr,
although the main question il upon
the jurisdiction 81 Judge Pollock. Tnes
miflers claim that bleaching Is rec
ognized agent In the manufacture OF
fiour. AND that the action of prof
Ladd would seriously damage tht mil
ling interests OF the state and incl
dentally lower the milling value Of
wheat to the producer.
Judge Engerud presented the case
for Prof Ladd at the morning session
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