The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-02-10
Host of Experts Supplement
Labors Of Chemistry
Referee Board.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
CREATES PROBLEMS
Activity of Government Agents
Cover Questions of Cold Storage,
Poultry, and Colored Candies.

There has been some misunderstood
ing about the referee board, composed
OF famous chemists, which has been
called iE TO decide certain questions
raised under the pure food law. IT de-
veIops that this board is by no means
the only authority the Department OF
Agriculture has relied upon for expert
testimony.
In fact, il is explained by the author
tiles that probably twenty individuals
or groups are now at work on problems
which the law has forced upon the pub
lies attention. These include some Of
the most important and least known
about
For instance, there is the Ois question
of freezing poultry and keeping it at
times for years before # is used. The
charge has been made that this attack
on refrigeration is one way OF getting
at tire effort Of certain big packers and
AFFILIATED interests 10 form a trust in
the poultry supply Of the country They
have at times squeezed the chicken
eaters severely. through their control
OF millions Of frozen fowls.
Swift & Co.
The arm Of Swift & Co. has been
accused Of leading fl this effort, which
has also extended to the egg mar
ket. The big pool in eggs two or three
years ago had a sad end, for the hens
got busy laying out of season, and
Just as the storage eggs were TO be UNI
loaded at fancy prices the fresh ones
were dumped into the market and the
pool was badly scrambled. However,
the enthusiasm of the eXperimenters
was not entirely destroyed, and the POS
sibiity Of trust control Of both poultry
and eggs has been regarded as very
serious.
The cold-storage chickens are alleged
TO be responsible for much OF the pto-
maine poisoning which has beeH widely
reported in recent years. The people
i'm the business say their poultry Is
vastly better than that OF the average
retail dealer. ana the department has
set an expert at work studying the
question and trying TO learn how long Dc
Is safe TO keep chickens In storage. Ihe
eXpert-iu this case a Philadelphia WOm-
an chemist-has Just been making some
preliminary reports, the nature OF which
is rot known, but which are understood
10 be enlightening and important
ColOrs for Candies
Then there is the question Of colors
for candies. The cOufecuOners use a
vast array or coloring matters. Many
OF these have long been under suspicion,
and the users were stricken with con-
sternaIion when the pure food law pass
ed The manufacturers applied 20 the
department, asking il 20 prescribe for
them a series OF ColOring substances
which they might use. They wanted an
orange, a line Of reds blues, and others
Experts were set at work TO examine
a long list OF substances. Many OF
them, long in use, were promptly bar
red as dangerous. out or the entire
list examined il was possible 10 md Z
pretty good representation OF cOlori
which experiments had shown TO b'
harmless. and tho manufacturers were
given this list and told To make ali tht
coIors and shades they could by com
binations- They are getting along Ver7
well, and there has been 40 serlOu
complaint Yet il is pointed out tina
this, in the most literal way. is the IS
Enlistment Of standards. The law aoc
not provide for them, but in such case
they are necessary In its administration
Other Investigations
Many other Investigations which vii
call forth ord "a from the admiuistra
tive authorities IN the near future. ar
now on foot. one OF these relates u
certain uses Of aniline dyes, long &
p controversy. But only three question
have been sent TO the referee board. an,
only one or these is yet decided.
The administration of the law is still
in its early stages experience and ex
periments are demonstrating its strOu
and weak points. and revision Of Il s.
expected 10 come In the near future
The authorities insist that there nee
be no fear of the law being brokei
down by TOO liberal constructions. To tn
case of benzoate of soda they called f
tn hest talent possible and 60 MAX
sure conducted three Independent AM
exhaustive series of experiments
is believed that the result OF this iuve9
ffgaLiOu viii be accepted by an th
noCst advanced pure food authorities 81
the world when the reports are publish
81 and the detailed observations am
zFrFIfae are understood