Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-12-31
NEW PURE fOOO LAW
WORKS LIKE CHARM,
SAYS WILEY
Since II Went Into Effect a
Noticeable Difference Has
Been Created by
the Public.
MERCHANTS ARE
GIVING SUPPORT
The New Law Is Doing an In
menSe Good Since the Public
Has Become Educated
and. Forced Dealers
to Act.

Baltimore, Nd, Dec. 31.-Dr. II. ID.
Wiley. chief OF the bureau of chemis-
try, department of agriculture, was
the principal speaker today before
the convention of scientists. which Is
in session here. DIR. Wiley spoke Of
the good already accomplished as a
result of the pure food and drug act,
and gave a review of the changes
brought about by the new law. He
said in part:
First must be mentioned the effect
which the food and drugs act has had
upon the ethics of trade 1t is the
universal consensus of opinion of all
high grade manufacturers and mer-
chants in food and drug products that
the morality OF the trade has been
distinctly improved. When low grade
or debased articles have to be named
and specified and adulterations ex-
cluded there is no longer the necessity
which existed before of really high
grade manufacturers STOPPING to the
ldebasement of their food products TO
meet competitor. In other words, the
success of business now docs not de-
pend upon meeting low rade com
petition, but tich grade competition
and thus the merit and excellence OF
the product other things being equal
will set the pace for success of the
! business.
The second good which has been
accomplished by the food and drugs
act is the judicial determination in
many cases Of the principles involved
in the law itself. Judge Smith Nc
Pherson, of the United States district
| court, Western District of Missouri
| Kansas City, in "A decision which HI
rendered on the food and drugs act
stated: This statute is to protec
consumers and not producers. 1t Is .
most benefcient and righteous stat
ute, and within the powers of Con.
gress to legislate concerning anc
should be enforced" Here we hav,
the judicial statement showing th'
substantially of the act and its ben
Efficient purpose and the purpose foi
which II should be enforced. The
consumer In all cases is the party tC
be protected. but in protecting the
consumer the rights of the manufact.
urers are also protected.
| THE third good which has been ac.
lcomplished by the law is the i'm
provement in the quality of the food
and drug supplies. This has beer
Iapparent in both food and drugs
| Cold storage foods are no longer sold
or at least not so extensively as fresh
foods and greater care is exercised in
the sanitary preparation of foods
than ever before, 80 that the foods
which the people of this country are
| eating today are more wholesome
and consequently more palatable anc
more nutritious than ever before. This
Improvement in the quality of drugs
is not less marked. A rigid inspec-
tion OF imported drugs keeps out oi
the country all that are not up to the
| pharmaceutical standard, and the
careful control, though not complete o.
interstate commerce tends to produce
the same effect on drugs passing from
state to state. The making and sale
of deleterious patent medicines hai
been greatly restricted, especially in
those productions which relate to the
introduction of habit forming drug
/ INTO patent IntuiClntS anu OF diCOHol
The statement on the labels of these
products respecting the presence Of
these bodies has served to warn a
great many persons OF the danger OF
their use and thus restricted theiI
sale. While perhaps there is much
left to be desired in this direction, the
progress which has been made Il
most encouraging, and the good
which has been accomplished already
is pronounced.
FINALLY the general attitude of the
public has been strengthened re-
specting this law so that It has the
support OF a more unified and enthus-
iastic public opinion. Add to this the
almost unanimous support of the
courts in all cases which have come
before them and we see that the food
and drugs act has been firmly estab'
lished and will continue the goot
work in which so much has already
| been accomplished"
SAN FRANCISCO BRIBER