Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-08
BENZOATE FIGHT
NOT ENDED YET
PURE FOOD STATES URGED TO
MORE STRENUOUS EFFORTS
WORK OF DENVER CONVENTION
RoUNDLY DENOUNCED
Articles of the Politician Are Said to
Have Been Chiefly Responsible
for Sustaining Ren1-
sen Report
rspeolal to The Herald,I

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7.--Instead OF
the controversy over the use of benzo-
ate of soda as a food preserVatlVe nav
ing been settled at the Denver conVen-
tion OF the'state and national dairy ana
food departments in August, the forced
victory of the advocates Of this pre-
servative at that convention has appar-
antl,y stimulated the commissioners Of
the nure food states to more vigorous
efforts. and their fight will now be
transferred to washington, where II
probably will receive no small amount
of attention during the coming session
of congress. --,..,..
AS the inside facts concerning the
Denver convention become more gen
eraIlv known, it is revealed as one
where the artifces of the politicians
were considerably more in evidence
than the sober thought of the expert
charged with the duty of protecting the
public health. AS far as benzoate OIL
soda is concerned, considerations OF
public health were put aside and the
ntiestion placed before the convention
was merely whether the Remsen
boards report should be sustained OF
not.
This report was to the effect that its
members had made certain experiments
in the feeding of benzoate of soda TO
healthy individuals, and had reached
the negative conclusion that their
health was not impaired thereby On
the question of indorsing this report,
the benzoites won out and on the face
of the returns had a fair majority, the
vote being 81 to AZ. But an analysis OF
vote shows that the delegates of three
great states--Ohio, Pennsylvania ana
Michigan-whose food laws rank among
the very best, declined to vote because
of the irregularity of the proceedings,
and made this announcement from the
floor of the convention.
These states were all opposed to ben
zoate of soda, and were entitled to
three votes each. Had they voted, the
result would have been 81 to 81. ELM
mating the three votes cast by the de-
partment of agriculture and the three
from the District Of Columbia, which
were practically controlled by the de-
partment, the result would have stood
81 to 81. showing the states represented
were a tie even upon the question so
adroitly presented. The tactics en-
ployed to secure the adoption Of the
resolution have been criticised unspar-
ingly. An employe of the department
of agriculture is said to have been en-
gagged for some weeks in campaigning
in the different states, urging the at
tendance of delegates to the convention
to sustain the Remsen report.
Rooted for Benzoate
He was on the scene at Denver some
days before the convention opened, Civ
ing out interviews and working hard
11pon the delegates. Altogether, it is
claimed that no less than eleven per-
sons connected connected with the de-
partment of agriculture were at the
convention roofing for benvoate OF
soda, and it is unnecessary to say that
the prestige and presence of Secretary
Wilson exerted great influence in the
convention.
Even with this powerful government
al support, so active as to be character
lied as interference" the benzoites
lodged the issue and took refuge be-
hind the skirts of the collegiate gowns
of DR.. Ira Remsen and his associates.
They made it appear that the Remsen
board was being attacked, and that in
some way. this was a reflection on Sec
retary Wilson and ex-President RoOse-
welt, and now is the time for all good
citizens to come to the aid of their
party" Many delegates OF the conven-
ton said they were not scientists and
did not consider themselves competent
to pass upon the report of a scientific
board, and wished the matter dealt
with from a practical instead of su-
per-scientific standpoint.
Resolution Declared weak
To carry their point the benzoites
presented a resolution in which were
Incorporated references to the Remsen
board, Secretary Wilson and ex-Presi-
dent Roosevelt, so that its rejection
would be a reflection upon all three and
especially on the invited guests of the
convention, Secretary Wilson and the
members of the Remsen board, who
were all present. The passage Of this
resolution was hailed by the benzoites
as a great victory for benzoate Of soda,
whereas a weaker resolution could
scarcely have been framed. 1t merely
stated that the association Endorses
the report Of the referee board of con-
sulting scientific experts appointed by
Secretary Wilson at the direction of
President Roosevelt on benzoate of
soda"
Flushed with their success in secur-
ing the adoption Of this resolution, in
itself harmless, the benzoites put up a
slate of officers, and so confident were
they of success that one Denver after
noon newspaper, which persisted In
calling 1t the "Wilson slate" announced
in an early edition that it had been
elected. AS a matter Of fact, it was
smashed, and the convention turned in
and adopted another resolution request
ing President Taft and Secretary Will
son OF 'institute further studies con-
cerning the use Of preservatives and
along the broadest lines" On this res
olution the food commissioners who are
opposed to benzoate of soda will con-
duct their fight in washington next
winter. What the public is chiefly in
terested in is the use of benzoate Of
soda to preserve canning factory gar
bage.
To Rafsa Eraicb% P.tar