The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-09-18

lection to the health and lives of the
people. Over $500 employees are di-
rectly engaged each working day in the
year in the enforcement Of the law.
On the same day, June 80, 1906, Pres
ident Roosevelt approved the Pure
Food Law. This law covers all foods,
with the exception of meats, including
beverages, and also drugs which enter
interstate or foreign commerce. By its
terms, articles of food or drink must
not contain any injurious or deleterious
drug, chemical, or preservative, and the
label upon each package Of food, drugs,
or drink must state the exact fact, and
must not be false or misleading in any
particular. While this law does not
cover foods, beverages and drugs which
are produced and consumed entirely
within the limits of one state, yet its
of the different states to enact laws
covering domestic products Of a like
nature. These laws very generally fol-
low the national act as to form and de-
tail, the only difference being that one
affects interstate and foreign commerce,
while the other affects the internal
commerce of the state. Inspectors are
continually travelling throughout the
United States to discover whether the
terms of the law are being observed,
and they have found, upon the part of
manufacturers and dealers, a very gen.
eral compliance with the law. When
violations of the law are observed,
they are at once prosecuted by the De-
partment of Justice, and the guilty
parties are punished.
The Farmer and Balance of Trade.
During the eighteen years, 1S9O-19O7,
the average annual excess of domestic
exports over imports amounted to $751;
100000, and during the same time the
annual average in favor of farm pro-
ducts was 1862 100000, from which it
is apparent that there was an average
annual adverse balance of trade in pro-
ducts other than those of the farm,
amounting to $25,OOO,OOO, which the
farmers offset and had left 1887 100000
to the credit of themselves and the coun-
try.
Taking the business of 1907, the COM
parison is much more favorable to the
farmers than during the eighteen-year
period, since the value of domestic eX-
ports of farm products over imports
was $444,OOO,OOO.
During the last eighteen years there
was balance of trade in favor of farm
products, without excepting any year,
that amounted to 512,OOO,OOO.
Against this was an adverse balance of
trade in products other than those of
the farm of $456, 100000, and the farm
ers not only Cancelled this immense OBJ
legation, but had enough left to place
$6,O56, 100000 to the credit of the ma
ton when the books of international
exchange were balanced.
These figures tersely express the i'm
mense national reserve sustaining pow
err of the farmers Of the country under
present quantities of production.
The health of our people is being
safeguarded by inquiry into importa-
lions of food from foreign countries
that contain substances deleterious to
health. The United States is no longer
the dumping ground for food stuffs
that are forbidden sale in the countries
where they originate.
An aim of the Department is to make
the American Independent with regard
to everything that can be produced in
our ATTITUDES. Corps of scientists have
been placed in each Of the new island