The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1908-12-18
GREEDY PACKERS FIGHT
TO Sell PuTRID FOOD
Try TO Hide Behind Consti-
tuition to Garry on
Business.
nv ERNEST STOUT.

huuItffNtnfh OF foNd ahN dealers IN
embRlmed poultry. fish and meats
have indicated their intention 60 Use
the fourteenth amendment Of the
constitution as a shield 60 protect
them against the authorities I'm.
discouraged by the recent United
States supreme court decision up
Rollins the municipality Of Chicago
I'd It's destruction Of 1000 pounds
az cold storage chicken owned by
sne North American Cold Storage
Co, Rdulterators Of foods are pre-
pering to again raise the point that
leisure OF condemned foods II con.
nscat0ry and equivalent 70 seizure
o. property without due process Of
Jaw
Crusade Begun.
United States Attorney Sims Of
the northern district Of Illinois has
juat begun a crusade against sellers
OF ~mlsbranded. adulterated and del
eteriora foods In view of hts In
sention ne has filed ini0rmatlons
against five wholesale firms OF Chi
cago. charging them with violation
og the pure food law adopted by
congress June 90. 1905 These firms,
among the wealthlest and most
reputable Of the United States, sold
olive oils. drugs. maple syrups and
other goods bearing the inscription
Inspected and certified to be pure
hy the bureau Of chemistry OF the
United states This false liable
IN each case bore the formal sigma
ture OF the firm. together with It's
guarantee. In enc instance the
Hmaple syrup" Was found 20 BE- COM
posed OF saccharins. glucose and
on OF honey. IN another Standard
lemon jules" was discovered to be
aceiic acid and vinegar. with a III
lie OIL OF lemon.
slcksnlnp Chickens.
The 1000 pounds Of chicken we're
fair samples Of the kind Of food cold
storage houses enable spectators
Ia put on the market. The chickens
we're being eaten daily in Chicago
restaurants. and many persons
rnade sick thereby. One man. after
eating a chicken sandwich. had con.
vuislons. and almost died Of pto-
maine poison. The offeuse was 50
grave that the board Of health
seized the putrld fowls, which we're
principally euibalmed feet. feathers
ard entrails, and removed them
from the cold storage where they
lad reposed In frozen puirescsnee
for two years. Despite the protests
or the corporation. tho chickens
we're destroyed. The company sued
the city for their value. aud the case
Was taken 20 the supreme court.
where the municipality was sus-
tanned. Alarmed az that tluse AZ
the prospect Of perhaps having 90
pay for ali the spoiled foods the city
seirea. It's officers returned carloads
Of unfit canned goods u later de
veloped that a millionaire fish firm
which failed had hundreds u th0us-
ards N pounds 81 rotten flsh IN
cold storage. These fish are today
being sold Ia lnstalimants fuF human
consumption. and are being eaten
throughout the country. The firm
IA bankrupt The fiah are being sold
to pay lis creditors. The fish are.
IN the opinion Of those In control
Of the matter. too valuable an a.
Get TO be destroyed.
IN Geld Storage.
In the cold storage houses Of
Chicago are millions Of pounds u
meat, poultry. fish. eggs and other
edlhles. held BY spectators 20 Gre
ate scarcity and an Increase Of
prices. When the food becomes
fecom posed and can no longer be
kept, II wiH be sold fo9 eonsump-
ton. s. Water -. dealers say the
hackers Of Chicago hold -. 100 600
pounds Of butter In storage. Trade
Journals under their control an
nounce "a scarcity Of butter. eggs.
turkeys and other holiday foods.
Just before Christmas each year. so
the packers may sell their cold
storage goods AZ extorfionate prices
Al the stockyards caFcas.ss Of
cattle with tuhercular infection
and lumpy Jaw are passed into the
market after the worst infected
portions are cut out Some Of this
diseased meat Is put into cold stoF-
age and the germs rendered dor
mant BY freezing
Gives More Power.
Heretofore the municipalities
have not had the power to author
ize the destruction Of this adul-
terafed. poisoned and putrid food
The case Just decided by the Unit
ed States supreme court has
strengthened the hands OF the aa-
tboFities. II remains to be seen II
the influence OF wealthy dealers In
poison food viii procure the dis
charge or restraint Of 'oYerzealous
health commissioners The pack.
ers. In justification Of the sale Of
partly infected carcasses OF cattle,
point 70 the fact that the govern
nent inspectors permit these car
casaes to pass into the market. but
have nothing 10 say concerning the
unanimous condemnation Of the
practice BY all the leading bacter.
lologists.
The outcome OF the prosecutions
Of Atty Sims and Health Commits
sioner Evans OF Chicago ~ a moral
stimulus 10 officials elsewhere may
be depended upon to show just how
much consideration Of the public
health will weigh against the big
interests" which profit By poison
Ing Innocent customers.