The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-10
WAVE OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT Elk
CEEDS INDIGNATION OVER
LATE SCANDALS.
Governments Action Permits Use Of
Preservative in All Kinds of
Food in Common Use.

NEW YORK. Nav 10.-(SpeciaD-
The wave of public sentiment in OPP
position to chemically preserved foods
that has arisen through the benzoate
of soda agitation, exceeds the public
Indignation of few years ago over
the emIbalmed beef scandal of the
Spanish war and the "Packington'
tales of Upton Sinclair.
And not without ample reason, fol
recent government action permits the
use of this drug in unlimited quanti-
ties in all our food supplies, at the will
and convenience of the unscrupulous
manufacturer 1t may now be used in
milk, butter, cheese, meat, fish, canned
goods and condiments, and for the
time being, eternal watchfulness on the
part of the people must be the price OF
safety
Tricked by the administrative oper-
alton of food law, that was passed
by force of public sentiment. and
against the strenuous opposition OF
certain classes of manufacturing in
terests, the public must now make its
own food law by discriminating against
doubtful brands OF prepared foods.
And the people are being heard from
Millions of intelligent consumers are
arraying themselves on the side OF
strict food purity and the protection
of the public health. while the press of
the country has shown remarkable
unanimity and moral courage in turn
;,,rr L.
terator and corrupt politician in an ar
dent effort to bring about a pure food
era.
Furthermore, the medical fraternity
has never shown a more united front
on any question than in condemning
the use of benZOate of soda in food
preparation. Physicians know it's irri-
tating effect upon the digestive organs
and the extra labor that it places upon
the kidneys. They know that in it's
cheaper grades, those in commercial
use, it is either a dangerous extract
from coal tar or has it's disgusting
basis of manufacture in animal ex-
creta. They also know that it's use is
not to preserve good material, but to
permit the working off upon the peO-
pie of refuse bi-products of meat,
fruits and vegetables, usually in state
of disgusting filth and semi-rotten-
ness; and to avoid the necessity of de
cent sanitation in manufacture.
Physicians Protest.
Not only are thousands of physicians
protests against the govern
ment action that has nullif1ed one of
the most important provisions of the
food law, for which so much
has been hoped and promised, but Wo-
mems clubs and other organizations are
actively discussing it, while the legiti-
mate food manufacturing interests are
organizing to protect the good name
and reputation of the great prepared
food industry and the associated state
dairy and food commissions are re-
newing their activity toward securing
q reform that will be real and lasting
Thus a campaign of public educa-
ton is in progress by which the people
are learning the true significance of
he governmnt benzoate Of soda ruling,
md when this education has sufficient
~ progressed, the will of the people |
must triumph against the practice of
God embalming for profit and the drug
ging of the human race will again be
eft to the doctors of the land, in whose
hands it properly belongs.
Five thousand years ago, the Egyp- |
-ians embalmed their dead Then
came at least a partial cessation from
he use of chemical preservatives; I'M
of 70 nit n CT 10
greed and graft have administered poi
son to the people with meat and over
ripe fruit and vegetable refuse, pre-
served with benzOate of soda.
The arguments handed out to the in
noCent consumer by the men CONNER
cially interested in chemicals, and
their use in foods are misle aiding, as
they are based on the fact that the
amount of chemicals used in preser-
walton of single article OF food is no;
great enough to poison a person. This
is d. ceptive in that it is not a mat
ter of actually killing a consumer, but
Of insidiously introducing into his sys
tenn in various foods, various chemi-
Gals calculated to gradually undermine
health, without his choice or knowi.
edge. Also the greater evil is becOr
ing known to many consumers, that of
the preservation by means of chemi-
calls of spelling raw materials, which
are unfit to eat, and which could not
be utilized were chemical preservatives
prohibited.
Ketchup Manufacture.
And while according to a recent ag-
ricultural department bulletin, issued
from Washington after a thorough in
vestigation of ketchup manufacture, it
appears that the greater part of our
ketchup is made from the skins, cores
and rotten tomatoes of the canning
factories, preserved with benZOate of
soda. and while it is true, that included
in this category some widely known
brands still bear the shameful ben
10 IL. ic, aU1aIIv fJ1o that >Cith