The sun., 1908-04-03
No Appropriation for the Poison
Squad.

'HN"u'
Can il be that DR.. WILEY and his poison
squad are to pass from the stage Of con-
temporary humorous interest? When
Mr. FOSTER Of Vermont, acting as sub
sttute for Speaker CANNON in the House
of Representatives on Tuesday, sus-
tanned point of order against the inclu-
sion in the agricultural appropriation
bill Of an item providing for further in
vestigation Of "the effect of cold storage
upon the healthiulness Of foods all hope
Of learning how long every article Of
food in the American cuisine could be
kept without communicating insidious
germs to the consumer was abandoned
by Mr.. MANN Of Illinois. We mention
him because he took the credit Of starting
DR.. WILEY on his picturesque career Of
experimenting with the gastric juices Of
his squad Of heroes, To quote Mr.. MANN:
a few years ago-I do not know but II was
largely upon my own suggestion In connection With
the investigation which resulted Ia the pure food
lAw-I specially asked Dr. WILET TO commence the
investigation as to the effect OF long continued cold
storage upon some classes OF meats, fowls eggs
and so forth. ! asked him to put away In cold
storage some Of these classes OF foods with the idea
OF keeping them from one. two, three four, hve,
sII or more years. In order that we might have an
authoritative investigation and statement as to the
effect upon these articles Of this cold storage
The objection to any appropriation
il made a part Of the agricultural bill,
for the purpose of enabling Dr. WILEY
to 60 on with his experiments in tally
ing the ages Of storage foods and their
effects upon his robust young assist
ants, came from Representative PERKINS
Of New York, who protested
The care OF health, the Investigation TO see
what effects are produced upon the human sys-
TEN by different articles, may be valuable and
useful. but It Is not agriculture"
And as Rule xxi. prohibits the re-
porting Of any appropriation in general
bill for an expenditure not previously
authorized by law-the poison tests were
not so authorized unless in continu-
alton of appropriations for such public
works and objects as are already in
progress he objected to the item and
was sustained by the chairman, In vain
Mr.. MANN warned Mr. PERKINS that the
spring shad' he ate was often year
old and the eggs in his omelet we're
laid a decade ago the incorrigible PER-
KINs retorted that at fifty he was strong
and fit, had never had sick day in his
life, and he was not terrified by the
assurance of DR., WILEY that he might be
taking in germs every day when he con-
sumed cold storage foods.
Dr. WILEY has published some things
OF unquestionable interest to the ware
houseman as well as to the consumer.
He has learned the time limit for eggs,
that game and poultry are better as
regards taste and tenderness for keeping
three months, that meats improve up
to six weeks, and that fish and eggs
deteriorate from the first. But these
things he learned some time ago, and
year after year the item for his investi-
cations has been continued without OBJ
lection in the agricultural bill. Would
it not go on forever like the brook, as
one member said, unless some one called
a halt upon the appetite of the poison
squad? The multiplication of means Of
spending the peoples money in Federal
tests and Investigations Of every con-
ceivable thing under the sun has become
a real menace TO economy in Govern
ment expenditure. Cold storage tests
are undoubtedly useful and desirable up
TO certain point, but why should they
not be made by the State and the munich
pality? AZ long as they we're conducted
by the Agricultural Department the ten
dency would be 10 make sensations Of
them andl spend every dollar that Con-
gress could be induced to appropriate for
them.
The practice was an encouragement |
OF paternalism, and for that reason alone |
was Objectionable, Moreover it may
be doubted whether such tests when
made by Federal Department are as
authoritative as those Of the university |
or scientists private laboratory.
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