Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-03-13

governor, and went into effect on the
first day Of January: 1t will be we'll
for grocers, druggists, ETC., to secure
copy of this law and become fam liar
with its provisions. The laws hereto
| fore in force in the state on'y contem-
| plated punishment Of a dealer when
he sold something injurious knowing
ly. The new law makes no such dis
tinction. 1t makes no difference W beth
er the merchant knows his stuff is
barred or not, II he offends he may be
punished.
And the punishment 10 no light
matter Either the violator or his agent
shall be fined $50 to 800 for each Of
Tense and may he sent to jail from 20
to so days in addition. He shall pay
the expense of inspection and analysis
of the suspected stuff and shall pay a
fee of $40 TO the prosecute e attorney
for prosecuting him. All costs under
| the new act are to be paid into the
county treasury. This is said to be the
only instance ia which the costs of a
state case go the county
Among the items which make the
law very effective is the section giving
the prosecuting attorney the right of
entry and search. He may enter any
place of business or factory or drug
store or laboratory or any other place
wbe4e food or drugs are made or cold.
After ne enters he may open any case
or package or bottle which he suspects
of containing anything that is in VIC
lation Of the law In case he desires to
do so he may seize samples of the sus
pected stuff'and have ii analysed. The
analysis is to be made by the state
chemist of the state agricultural de-
partment, who will certify the results
to the prosecutor.
1t is an ofiense if one manufactures
or offers for sale any aduterated food
or drug. The old law exempted those
who did not know the article was adul-
terated, and il was almost impossible
to convict under its provisions. Adult
teration is defined in the law to be any
substance mixed with the article with
the result that the quality, strength or
purity Of it is lowered, deprecated or
njuriously affected
If an article is made to appear To be
worth more than it really is taere il a
violation of the law. If the stuff is in
ju ious to health the law is violated If
milk be sold frum diseased cows it is a
violation. If the label bears any state
men: which is misleading ii is a viola
tioi.
In the Tease of mixtures and COM
pounds the label must eshow whist it
is, and the time in which the an
nouncement is made IN ust be at least
halflas large as the lagest sized type
on the label. Whenever any dope, peis
onous or alcoholic constituents are in
cluded in mixture or compou nd the
percentage of each must be printed on
the label
SILT will be seen that the law is most
far reaching. 1t will serve 10 protect
the people in this state from abuses to
which they have been subjected for
years. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Kentucky have pure food laws
What cannot be sold in those states
has been brought into this one and
consumed by the unsuspectiug. I'm
der the new law this must stop. No
dealer will take chances of being con-
victed for violating the law He will
demand of his wholesalers ample as
surance that his goods are right. Fail
ing to get this the articles will not be
handled.
Under this law there will be no more
"sure cure" patent medicine fakes sold
in this state. The label is misleading.
This will be applauded by every one
who has been disguised by fskers sell
ing "eures' for this, that and the other
which were no more ana no less than
disguised liquor. Victims of the incur
able maladies Will no longer be per
mitted to squander their money on
mixtures which not only do not cure
them, but really do them harm. a
strict. construction of the law would
make it unlawful to place pink net
ting over basket of green peaches to
make them appear to be blushing
beauties worth more than the green
ones could be sold for. 1t win also be
unlawful to sell stale for fresh egg
The list might be extended to great
length, but the reader may do this for
himself.
Attention is called 10 the law and
its provisions in order that the mer-
chants aud others who are affected
may take steps TO protect them selves