Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-15
M|LLERS ROAST WILEY
Arraign Him for Criticisms OF
White Flour.
SAY HE HAS HURT TRADE
His Ideas Obsolete, Is Their
Contention.
COMPLAINT ALL PREPARED
Cites His Utterances and Declares
He Is Inconsistent and
Unjustifed.

10 Judge from papers prepared by the
Milers' National Federation. and which
VIII be read to Secretary Wilson Of the
Department of Agriculture Wednesday,
Dr. Harvey Wiley. chief Of the bureau oe
chemistry. has incurred the wrath of flour
manufacturers of this country.
The millers claim that DR. Wiley has
allowed the press of the country to con-
denim white flour. taking their cues and
headlines from speeches and interviews
supposedly authorized by DR.. Wiley. and
they also claim that DR.. Wiley knows
mighty little about white flour. and that
they have his own S; ataments TO prove II.
So far only the statement of the Mllers'
National Federation is obtainable. In
quirv at Secretary Wilson's office yester-
day brought the answer that It's criticism
had not been received there, and that
there was nothing to say about 1t. DE-.
Wiley could not be reached.
Complaint of Millers.
The milers' complaint goes on to say
that during the past few years there
have appeared in newspapers and maya
zines statements rejecting on the purity
and nutritive value Of white -four. They
claim that these sta ,ements have had the
public in white flour or high-grade wheat
flour.
They say that the statements in all in
stances are credited to DR.. Wiley, and,
although direct evidence of authorship is
not given in each case, the miliers assume
that DR.. Wiley is doing he talking
One reason why the milers object TO
the published statements concerning
white flour is that manufacturers of So
called breakfast foods have taken them
up and used them to advertise their own
product. The millers declare that lots or
the breakfast food made IS of questionable
character. although the advertisements
would lead people to believe it has all
the fine qualities which DIR. Wiley says
the bleached -four lacks
Much of the bulky document which
Secretary Wilson is to hear is made up
of clippings and copies of speeches made
by DR.. Wiley at various mlllerS con-
ventons
In one of these the doctor is reported
as having said:
so far as 1 am able to judge there
can be no other reason for bleaching
flour than that of getting a better price
for it than could be obtained If II were
not bleached. The law VIII not allow
miller to take a poor -four and doctor
it up SO that it looks like a number one
product, just to obtain a number one
price"
Threat Against Frauds.
In the same address DIR. Wiley goes
on to state that there is no objection to
bleaching and no objection TO washing
wheat But he makes it plain that moth
ing injurious must be introduced in the
process
THE labels must tell the truth. that's
the sum and substance of the matter.
If miller puts on the market a flour
that is branded first class, ii must be
first class that miller is going to
get into trouble.
The millers quote the doctor and then
say he is in the wrong. because he threat
ems millers who obtain fraction of
cent more for BILE 81 -four than they do
for unbleached flour. They think that
on the same principle it would lie a fraud
and a deception to curry a horse before
offering him for sale. because 1t would
be improving his appe ran e, and bleach
ing flour improves the appearance Of the
product, makes white bread and gladdens
the hearts of housewives"
Then they object to a speech of DR..
Wiley in which he is reported having
said:
The question may be very legitimately
asked whether tie education of the pub
lie taste to prefer white bread is not
artificial. Why should not bread have
the natural tint of the flour from which
it is made? 1t certainly does not make
it any less nutritious nor palatable nor SO
far as can see, less attractive
Contradiction Is Cited.
They append to this statement Of DR..
Wiley. which is placed here for the EVIL
dent purpose of showing that the chief
chemist has contradicted himself. 1t says:
The fact that the whitening of certain
food products is a perfectly legitimate
operation cannot be disputed.
There is lot of it. DE-. Wi!ey's pub
lished statements are quoted for several
pages. His speech at Atlantic City. in
which he said that better bread would
mean less work for the divorce court, is
held up having hurt the flour industry.
1t is stated that DR.. Wiley clings to
long exploded theories and fallacies con-
corning dark colored br ad 1t Is stated
that DIR. Wiley is illogical in his conclu-
sions. 1t is also declared that while the
doctor has made many statements con-
corning white -four and the bleaching
process, he has not made any test of IL,
or had not when the statements attributed
to him were published.