Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-18
BLEACHEO FLOUR BEST
MiIIers Defend Their Product
at Committee Hearing.
SAY WOMEN DEMAND 1T
Because It's White and Wholesome
and Men Like It.
DR.. WILEY IS INQUIsITIVE
Gets Ready Answers to His Cues
tions About the Aging
Process Employed.

Poor woman. The men have blamed
their sins. or perhaps their alleged sins,
on her again. This time it is not an
apple that causes the trouble. but count
less loaves of bread. For when the mill
ers who have come to Washington to
prove that bleached flour is all right after
all. were asked by DR.. Wiley why they
bleached flour. they answered.
THE women want it,"
There is a big crowd of mllers and
chemists interested in the hearing which
began this morning in the Department of
Agriculture and which will probably last
two days more. The board hearing the
evidence is composed of Secretary Will
son. Prosecutor McCabe and Drs. Wiley
and Dunlap.
Half of the millers side was heard this
morning, each man reiterating that in
his judgment the process of bleaching
flour did not harm it. On the contrary. at
tempt was made to show that the arti-
fetal process of aging -four improved
it and was definitely stated that poor
flour cannot be foisted on the public as
superior -four after having been put
through an lager or bleacher.
DR.. Wiley Wants to Know.
DR.. Wiley wanted to know all about
president of the Operative Millers' Asso-
citation what aging consisted of and re-
ceived the reply that when flour is aged it
changes color.
1T is process by which flour takes on
the same color that it would have If it laid
in warehouse for a length of time"
Then the word age has lost its sig
nificance," said the doctor 1T means to
you change of color rather than a lapse
of time
Mr.. Lewis was one of those who said
that the demand of the women was for
the whitest flour and that the country
was educated up to bleached -four and
nothing else.
Only the Best Will Bleach.
Mr.. Kaufman of ST. Louis, representing
the Milers' Club. gave sly dig to the
ribs of the pure food people by saying
their millers by pure food laws. and
then said that purity is assured by
bleaching -four because none but the
best flour will bleach Then followed a
little tilt between Mr. kaufman and DR..
Wiley which brought laughter from the
millers.
The average man." said Mr. kauf
man. wants the whitest bread, and the
average woman is going to please the
average man.
But" replied DR.. Wiley, 1.-The aver
age civilized man has good deal of saw
agery in his makeup.
Mr. McCabe asked if consumers would
object to the word "bleached' being
placed on the flour barrels. To this
Mr. Kaufman replied at some length.
and stated that while such label
would have no harmful meaning. it
would create doubt and dissatisfaction
in the minds of the housewives. He
said a man adjudged innocent OF
crime did not want to have innocent
branded on him. and at this point Sec
rotary Wilson asked him whether he
had ever read 1.-The Scarlet Letter.
Says People Demand It.
William Erskine of Indiana was the last
miller to speak this morning. He said he
had lost 10000 by not bleaching flour, and
was forced into it, His reason was that
people wanted it. the women liked it and
he could sell no other kind. He and Dr.
Wiley got into a debate about the ad-
vancement of civilization inventions. etc.
in which Mr.. Erskine likened the adoption
of bleaching to the adoption of autOmo-
bies over buggies.
Mr.. Erskine said that bleached flour
brought a higher price and looked better
besides.
why. if you lay muslin tablecloth
down and then a bleached muslin cloth.
the woman is going to take the bleached
cloth because ii is better
But not to eat" said DR.. Wiley.
At l o'clock the hearing was adjourned
until tomorrow morning.