Evening star., 1909-08-27
FOOD C0NFAb ENDED
Convention at Denver Is Ready
to Adjourn.
BENzOATE OF SODA WINS
By Fifteen Votes "Tis Pronounced
Not Injurious.
REFEREE BOARD UPHELD
OF Course, Those Who Voted "Nos
Don't Have to Take It
in Theirs.
UPHELD

DENVER, Cole, August 2I.-Vith a
hearing to manufacturers on the progress
being made toward the output Of purer
food products, the annual convention OF
the Association of State and National
Food and Dairy Departments prepared
for an early adjournment today.
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson, who
has been in daily attendance, will leave
for a tour OF western states. with view
to investigating public lands in Idaho
as to their adaptability for agricultural
purposes.
The election OF officers was the chief
business before todays session. George
l.. Flanders of Albany, N. Y, was talked
OF for president, and New Orleans as
the place for the next annual meeting.
In a communication to the association
Nathan Straus Of New York city COM
mended the fight carried on by Health
Commissioner Evans of Chicago for a
purer milk supply for that city. About
twenty other cities, Mr.. Straus said, were
following the example.
Benzoate Wins by Fifteen Votes.
After a long and heated debate in
which some ugly chemical nomenclature
including 'medicated garbage" was
hurled around. fifty seven learned dele
gates to the convention yesterday voted
that henzoate Of soda as a food pre-
servative is as harmless as that other
compound Of sodium common salt.
But forty-two equally learned delegates
voted, emphatically, that benzoate OF soda
is toxic, almost lethal, drug, and thai
anybody who puts benzoate OF soda into
his midst Is in imminent danger Of sitting
on q damp cloud or g. hot Sridiron, the
alternative being settled by his manner
OF life
A majority of fifteen supported the
findings of the so-calied ''Rensen board
and. In way, held up the hands Of Theo-
dore Roosevelt. Early in 1907 Mr..
Roosevelt, then Presiaent, found there
were difficulties in administering the pure
sen board" headed by DIR. Ira Remsen
of Baltimore. to pass on the disputed
pure food questions. The board is known
too as the, referee board" DIR. REM
sen was here today: So were Dr. CHRIS
tian H. Herter OF New York. DR.. Russell
H. cluttenden of New Haven, Conn, and
Dr. John H. Long Of Evanston, ILL.,, all
members of the board. SO was Secretary
Of Agriculture Wilson, who has often ex-
pressed the opinion in effect that benzoate
OF soda is a boon to humanity which not
only preserves food, but cans happiness
and tins prosperity.
All these gentlemen read papers to prove
that benzoate of soda, in moderate guam
IlJlSS, is one OIL the IuOSJ OSslIdDle COuu1-
ments known. DIR. Long tod OF feeding
SIX young men on moderate amounts of
benzoate- Of soda. They thrived; now
they are not happy until they get it. DR..
Long seemed to have the opinion that
newspapers are much more unhealthful
than benzoate of soda. said he:
Evidence Is "Unmistakable."
"The evidence from my experiments
was 80 open and unmistakable that no
fair minded person can AVOID the con-
clusion that benzoate In the amounts
employed is q perfectly harmless sub
stance. I must admit that in one re-
spect 1 projected my men, and some of
you may assume that my protection was
an interference.
What may result from little phys
ical disturbance was shown before any
actual tests were made. The SIX young
men were brought together, in advance
Of the period proper. They supposed
that the administration of benzoate
would begin Immediately, and it is an
actual fact that some Of the men be-
came apparently too sick to eat prop
erly for several days. But after the
newspapers had ceased to note the work
we had no~further trouble.
The cry of f~thQse attacking benzoate of
soda, led by Dr.>Charles A. L. Reed of
Cincinnati, was:
IF there is any doubt as>te~ the harm
fulness Of chemicals in food the-Public
should have the benefit Of the doubt. -
They lost by fifteen majority. as has
been said. Blu. they need not take BEN
zoate OF soda in theirs.