Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-18
BENZOATE FIGHT
IS NOT FINISHED
APPEAL WILL BE MADE TO
PRESIDENT
CONGRESS MAY BE ASKED TO
HOLD INVESTIGATION
Machine Methods Fitting for Ward
Primary Characterized Denver
Endorsement of Report of
Remsen Board
Especial to The Herald.l

cnlne ln6tlOuS more IIlllS IOF d wal
primary than a deliberative body ac-
compIshed the adoption at the Den
Yer convention of the State and Ma
tional Dairy and Food commissioners,
of a resolution indorsing the report Of
the Remsen board, which was favor
able to benzoate of soda. Whatever
tactical advantage was thus secured by
the friends Of this chemical preserva-
tive promises to be swallowed up in
the wave of popular indignation fol-
lowing the public knowledge OF the
methods employed TO dragon dee
gates and force the passage of the reso-
luton over the vehement protests OF
one-half the states represented.
Already there has been much unfa-
vorable criticism of the course of the
department of agriculture in exerting
its influence through a number of its
employees present at the convention,
first to assist the purveyors of chem
ically preserved foods to force their
products on the public, and second,
to down DIR. H. w. Wiley.
While the benzoate champions con-
nected with the department were per-
mitted to trade on the prestige of the
department, and even of the national
government itself, and the members of
the Remsen board were present at gov
in behalf Of benzoate of soda, DR.. II.
w. Wiley, the best equipped man in
the department of agriculture to dis
cuss pure food matters, was not al
lowed to speak in his own defense. On
the floor he was attacked by his su-
perior officer, Secretary Wilson, in
directly if not by name.
"DoWn with Wiley" the Cry
In the lobbies swarmed the agents
of the department, of the whisky men,
the beached flour manufacturers, the
benzoic acid users and others whose in
terests lie in weakening as far as pos
sible the national pure food law, and
their cry was Down with Wiley.
Finally by ringing in the Remsen
board Wilson and Roosevelt, a milk
and-water resolution was janmed
through.
Since then the storm has been gath
ering and it will break in Washington
next winter when the liveliest fight
since the pure food bill was passed
will take place. The food commission
ers, who are opposed to doctoripg
ketchup, tomato soup, jams, jellies,
etc, with chemicals, will take the mat
ter before President Taft this winter
and request him to order an investi-
cation into the actual conditions under
which benzoate of soda is employed
as a preserVatiVe.
For reasons not altogether clear the
department of agriculture has side
tracked the only report ever made on
the actual trade conditions where ben
zoate of soda figures and has persisted
in maintaining a friendly, even pa
ternal attitude, toward the drug, sole
ly because of a negative report from
three chemists as to some experiments
| These experiments, as everyone KNOWS
did not touch in any way on the ques-
ton of "medicated garbage" which,
by the way, was not referred to the
Remsen board by Secretary Wilson.
1t is charged that refuse from can
ming factories is utilized in the man
ufacture of continental foods. A re-
port of a government inspector con-
firms this charge. Now comes the as
sociation of food commissioners with
a resolution asking President Taft and
Secretary Wilson "to institute further
studies concerning the use of preserV-
atives and along the broadcast INES
The studies desired are to be directed
! toward actual conditions ana not lne-
oretical conclusions.
Congress May Act
| It is thought not improbable that
President Taft will be influenced to a
| considerable extent by the pronounced
hostility of Secretary Wilson toward
further investigation of the subject
In case the president declines to di-
rect ANY further inquiry a congress
sfonal investigation will be sought, and
If is openly asserted that If congress
goes into the matter the condltlons
will be found to equal those which eX-
listed in the meat packing trade be-
fore the passage of the meat lnspec-
tion act.
The foes of benzoate of soda, when
include legions of physicians and 9th
ers Interested in public health, are de-
ternined that the question shall be
dealt with from a broad standpoint
and that it,shall not be sidetracked by
reference to a quasi official committee
the scope of whose Investigations was
deliheratelv limited so as to give the
public no information as to the actual
conditions under which their food is
doctored
Tt is also intimated that the question
of how far the employees OF the depart
ment were justified in their eHorts 10
secure the passage of the resolution al
the Denver convention will be agitated,
and whether their staunch advocacy
of the drugging of food is not likely to
reflect unfavorably upon the admins
tration.
From reports reaching Washington
it is expected that this phase will be
taken up in congress by the senators
and congressman who fought so Ions
to secure the passage of the pure food
act which is now being slowly emascu--
lated through the agencies charged
with its enforcement.