The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-12-02
BEVERAGE LAW Is
NOT PROHIBITORY
PURE FOOD COMMISSIONER LADD
IN SPECIAL BULLETIN JUST
FROM PRESS SAYS BEVERAGE
LAW DOES NOT STOP OR LES.
SEN SALE OF BEVERAGES.

The question is asked. does the en-
forcement Of the new beverage law
stop or lessen the sale of beverages
within the state? BY no means. 1t
was not the purpose of the beverage
law, necessarily, to stop the sale of
beverages OF any class that might be
legally sold in the state. The beverage
law has nothing to do with the en-
forcement Of the prohibition law Of the
state; its purpose is neither to en-
courage nor discourage. 1t is q part of
the code of the pure food and drug
laws Of the state intended for the pur-
pose OF driving out of the state the
sale OF all spurious products which
have been sold in direct violation of
the prohibition law and Of the con-
stitutional provisions.
A few years ago it was practically
impossible to secure WHISTLES, wines,
brandies, etc, at the drug stores which
were pure and fit for medicinal pur-
poses. 1t has been the purpose OF
this department to prevent the sale of
this class of products and to see that
the WHISTLES, Wines etc, sold at the
drug stores be pure and in accordance
with the requirements of the United
States pharmacopoeia or the national
formulary. Already niue. has been
accomplished. Artificial wines have
been driven from the market. A
large number of the imitation and
compound WHISTLES and various dopes
so common have been changed for a
better class of products,
Blackberry cordial and similar
products formerly sold, made from al
cohol and chemicals, sweeteEed with
saccharin or coal tar sugar colored
with coal tar dyes and preserved with
chemicals, are now a thing of the past
Practically all of the cocaine preparra-
tons which were used either at the
drug store, soda fountain, or in the
various beverages or medicines which
were furnished for home consumption
have been driven from the market.
The quality of the pops has been
greatly improved. All of the harmful
ingredients have been largely elimi-
mated, including saccharin, coal tar
dyes, salicyIic acid, cocaine, soap bark,
etc. Imitation elders have likewise
been much improved. Personalities
of ell classes have been drien out;
and yet the beerage law has not been
in force as yet six months
One correspondent has said that it
seemed to him the beverage law had
encouraged the sale of Intoxicating
beverages. 1t is hard to see how this
can be possible for the beverages
which were on sale in the state at the
n 4
soda fountain establishments were To-
Gated, and as fast as found the pro-
ducers were informed that they must
register their goods or withdraw from
the state. This method has been pur-
sued until a large share of those man
ufacturers doing business in this state
have either registered with this de-
partment or removed their goods from
the state; and where products were
found in violation Of the law the man
ufacturers have made the necessary
changes TO make their product con-
form with the standards of our food
and drug laws.
| The beverage law is only the es-
sential features of the drug and pure
food laws brought together codified,
as it were, and put in shape SO that
| it should be more easily understood;
and the burden of the expense for the
enforcement of this act has been
shifted from the taxpayers Of the
state to the manufacturer who must
pay registration fee for each brand
sold in the state, but this does not
enLitle him to sell any product in vio-
lation Of the prohibition or any other
laws of the state.
| Under existing conditions the state
has not been able to put a stop to the
shipment of beverages direct TO the
consumer, but the beverage law has
made it possible for the consumer to
find out whether the product received
| by him is as represented or not. II
Is we'll known to this department that
as matter of fact a less number OF
brands of beverages are being sold In
| the state today than before registra
ton was required as many products
have been driven from the market.