The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-12-23
CONSPIRACY SHOWN
TO EXIST
MADE TO RUIN eUSi.
NESS OF MEN OPPOSED TO
9ENzoATE or SODA.


and government officials interested ir
the pure food law are aghast q. tn.
uncnvering Of "A far-reaching. well
planned criminal conspiracy To ruin
the regulations and business of thos,
manufacturers who still stand out
against bcnzoatc of soda as a food
preventative. The plot was revealed
by tho confessions Of two of the men
implicated. who were arrested few
days aga in P.ttsburg. They have
been hound over 10 trial rs the exam
ming magistrate. and before the fed
erai courts are through with the ease
some of those Involved stand an en-
cc'lent chance of intimate acnuaint-
ancc with the interior OF prison.
inside from the fact that in the course
Of tn. plot the men arrested repre-
scnted themselves as government Off
cials sent Ia PlttSbu-g to secure evil
dcncc against u prominent pickling
and preserving firm. what chiefly con-
Germs administration circles is that
those charged with conspiracy have
been most conspicuous as supporters
az Secretary of Agriculture Wilson in
his favorable attitude toward benzoate
of soda. They were active In securing
the appointment of an extra govern
mental board and the reference In II
of questions affecting chemical pre-
scrvativ.S and coloring matter. and
since the first decision. favorable to
bcnzaate Of soda, have been engaged
in misleading the public through the
dissemination of literature ami adver-
Using matter. some of It, NJ least.
wholly false. In this connection APP
pear three piaklin" and preserving
firms. champions and users Of benzo-
ate of soda. ono in New York City.
on" in northern New York. and one
in Michigan. They are members of an
association of manufacturers formed
to defend bcn7oate of soda and oncr-
ate through the Century Press Syn
dicate OF New York. This latter or
cani2atinn Is the promoter of the As
ISOLATION for the Promotion OF Public
Health. under which disguise some of
its productions are circulated. The two
men arrested in Pittsburg were EN-
p,nv~c =. 49, Century Press Syndi-
cato.
AScors'g - .hc confessions Of the
El.n arrested the purpose of the plot
was tn rain the manufacturers against
wairr L was directed by falsely accus-
lag o. secretly using b,nZnatc of soda.
4 .? IA" hl. Foundation was tn he laid
nd supported ny photographs. affi-
davi, !. rh"'nira, analyses. etc. and
thsi. P" inoss We to 80 destroyed ny
ifa W';os,rcaf Qualification Of an ar
ti,,i" Garnd Or this manufactured owl
Z, n ~, t,a pzylt, "a
NJ. .hc characters of a thrilling de-
,tec,ivc story or iurld mrlodrama. in
Guiding the wealthy plotters seeking
revenge. detectives. chemists. news
paper writer's. photographers. cm-
nxnyes. faithful and otherwise. and
finally attorneys and the courts.
The plnttcrs hrihcd an empioye Of
the Plttsbnrg firm to turn over to
them bottle Of condimcnt used In
the manufacture of catsup. An ar
rangement was made to rush the con-
diment to chemist for analysis, and
the cnnspirators arranged that the
one Of their number who received the
bottle should put quantity of hem
zaate of soda in IL before taking It to
the chemist. Unfortunately for the
plotters, the supposed faithless en-
ploye was acting under instructions
from his employers. and the man with
the bottle was nabbcd by the de-
tectiVes as he was leaving the factory.
and the bottle of condiment. as well
~ the aenZoate of soda he was tn in
sert. We're found on him. He suisse
quentir confessed his share In the con-
splrary
The business world may we'll he as
founded At the reveie ton of n Mot to
ruin conspicuous firm in this daS-
tardiy manner. hut what will concern
the public mast Is that the Mot was
conceived and directed against this
particular firm solely because of its
advocacy of the pure food law. and
that thos. who put M the job are
thas" most prominently identified with
the effort Ia break down the spirit OF
the law. II not the letter That the
department Of agricultur. has refused
In reanen the question Of the use q.
henzpate af snda nj the request OF the
medical associations, including both
the American Medical association and
the American Institute OF Homeopathy.
hut stands by the "dopers" of food
and news. does not in the minds OF
intelligent observers reflect credit on
those charged with guarding the food
snnniy of the country, VIII the ad-
minlstraiian. already sasnectcd Of
lukewarmness toward the food law be
cause Of the attitude of the depart
msnt "f agriculture toward benzoate
of soda. sn1phurous acid. copperas.
etc. will think af this latest effort on
the part af the dopers is a question.
What will congress think about it,