The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-03-26
FIGHT FOR PURE FOOD.
DR.. II. w. Wiley Tells How it Has
Shown Rcsults.-Bound to Win
In the End

DR.. H. w. Wiley, chief of the bu-
reau of chemistry in the department
of agriculture at Washington, went
to New York recently to lecture at
Columbia University and look over
the operations of the New York gov
eminent laboratories in the apprais-
ers stores. While he did not feel
at liberty to say anything about the
recent overruling of his decision
that benzoate of soda was harmful,
he did say that he thought the pure
food campaign had been successful,
thus far and that it was bound to
win in the end.
"Of course you will understand
that cannot place myself in the
position of criticizing my superior
officers" said Dr. Wiley. "My own
personal views regarding the use of
benzoate of soda as preservative
are we'll known. But my opinion has
been set aside, and now the law
says that benzoate of soda is harm
less and may be employed at will by
the manufacturers. AS that is the
decision Of my superiors, l shall
strive to uphold it as best I can.
81 think we are having great sue
cess in the pure food campaign. Both
manufacturers and consumers are
realizing that it costs less in the
long run to make and eat uncontam-
mated substances than stuff that has
been bolstered up by coloring mat
ter and personalities. Nine-tenths
of the manufacturers are now turn
ing out unadulterated products.
"The rest, l am inclined to think,
will continue foisting authorizations
on the public as long as they are per-
mitted to do so or as long as the pub
lie will buy what they make. After
ALL when you come right down to
facts, there is no particular reason
why the spurious preserved products
should sell. They are made and
sold simply because people can be
found to buy them. In a way, then,
it is the publics fault Let consum-
ers positively demand that what they
buy shall be pure and they will get
only pure articles.
CAS- a matter of fact, you don't
make anything by buying what isn't
pure. On the face of things, it may
seem that you do, but analysis dis
poses of the assumption. Take the
case of catchup, which has been
much to the fore recently. You can
buy perfectly pure good catchup for
Is cents a bottle. You can buy
adulterated catchup for 10 cents per
bottle, but there is twice as much
catchup in the pure bottle, so that
to get as much in the adulterated ar
ticle you must pay 20 cents.
"The only reason that the manu-
they are avaricious. They can make
few more cents by cheapening the
product and using less expensive in
gradients. But more and more,
think, they are beginning to appre-
ciate that honesty is the best policy.
In other words the man who turns
out food that will stand the test is
the man whose product will keep the
market longest and increase sales
steadily.
Gin this respect it is encouraging
to note, as l said, that manufactu-
rers representing in numbers and
volume of business transacted more
than nine-tenths of the manufacture
ers of the United States are selling
only unauthorized goods. / recent
ly attended a convention of Gamers
at which there were three thousand
delegates. Resolutions were passed in
favor of the pure food laws, and the
delegates pledged themselves to sup
port them. That is proof of the
trend of public sentiment.
Our great hope, though, lies in
the persistent education of the buy
ing public. 1t cannot be emphasized
too strongly that the final decision
rests with the consumer. If he re-
fuses to buy impure foods no man
ufacturer will be willing to lose
money by making stuff that cannot
be sold. 1t is the gullible, the ignor-
ant and the careless who encourage
manufacturing of impure food.
Most of the canned goods on the
market today are guiltless Of adul
teration, and steady improvement il
to be noted in other things, such a!
preserves, which are not steriliZed
We are at any rate forcing the man
ufacturers to obey the law For in
stance the wine producers are mucl
more honest than they used to be
Use of false foreign labels on dom
este wines is rare. Many manufac
turers have come around to this vie1
without undue pressure, and / ar
!; applying moral suasion to the re
naming delinquents. If that doesn
, have the desired effect I'll set tn
law on them.
Sin the course of time as peopl
become sufficiently educated in tn
facts of the case, believe the me
who manufacture spurious, adulte
! ated foods will be driven out OF blu.
E mess. New York Press.