Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-01-08
Pure Foods-There Must be No Humbuq

\ great many people have very little
patience with the way in which the
administration ut Washington and not
few state administrations nave played
fast and loose with the important
problem of guarding the health of the
people from the evil of deleteriodsly
adultcrated food Not long ago the De-
partment of Agriculture, after a decision
against hlcached flour, allowed the mil
lerS to sell stocks now on hHud-an in
consistency against which logic would
Stubbornly rebel. If the flour was not
deleterious it should not be condemned
If it was dcletcri0us, as held. the law
should not be stretched to permit it's
sale, putting money in the pockets of
a few at the risk of njuring the health
of the many.
The New York Journal of Commerce
makes powerful protest against the
general policy of vacillation 1t says:
The fact Is that the food and drugs act as
now administered seems 10 allow great
weight to the question whose TX II Is that
| Is being gored, The Department OF Agn-
culture was ready enough TO apply strin-
gent regulations as 10 the use Of copper
in the first instance, aud later, when the
subject was referred to the three cabinet
officers having charge Of the food and drugs
act, the position Of the department was
reatlirmcd, With only relatively brief Pc
Rod of delay prior to the date when EreCupd
vegetables should be absolutely forbidden
the market This makes 1t the more re.
marRabe that the subject ShouId now he
leOpened and an entirely different verdict
announced apparently as result OF strong
trade and diplomatic influences. \ situu-
ton analogous TO that existing in other
lines Of food administration has thus been
created, and the government stands in the
singular position Of having drst denounced
a practice and then agreed TO tolerate il
/ pending Investigation, notwithstanding ~
! own scientists are unanimous in opposition
/ Gupb action kpIV that Juf
/ decision in this case was too hastily
/ reached, and was not founded upon known
/ scientific facts, or else that the reversal
/ of the ruling is the result Of private pres
/ sure and fayoTitism DisQuieiing results
| tending to a like belief have been reached
! in other cases where strong Interests are
/ involved. In several instances the uppit-
/ cation of the right sort Of effort has brought
/ about a total suspension or even reversal ot
! official action, The appointment of the
present whisky commission illustrates that
/ It may even be possible TO reopen a case
/ supposed to be In the hands of the courts
! and eorrObOratlve evidence Is afforded ny
/ some of the matters which have already
/ gone into the hands Of the referee bOuIa
! during the past year 1t would even seen
/ that there are certain highly placed in
| diyiduals In the political world whose et
forts have already contributed TO the pres
/ ent condition Of things under the food and
! drugs act, and whose influence Ia the long
run sutlecS to oycrturn, or ut least dcfet
! the application Of disagrecable conclusions
/ however well founded, that are reached by
/ the experts Of the government
! In some Of the states which conduct
| expensive dairy and food department.
/ the cry of pure food has been raised il
! the interest of certain classes Of pro
| ducers and has done very little practca
! good for the general consuming public
/ 1t has helped To advance the price 81
/ butter but has not yet in all eases op",
ated 70 make the common people ab
| solutely immune against getting wood al
/ cohol in their hayoring extracts. Thi.
| state Of things is an outrage.
Locally and generally the pure fooC
movement should be handled with re
| gard for the public health as its object
With any other aim it is "A swindle Reg
ulations should be carefully decided
upon, and enforced with impartiaIity be
| yond suspicion and with absolute Ger
| tainty No shilly-shallying will DO.