The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-03
DISCREDIT
STATE LAW
MICS. OUTSIDE OF STATE
PAY NO ATTENTION TO
FOOD LAW.
Food and Drug Commissioner
Warns Dealers that Advice
Given is Dangerous.

Indianapolis, May 29.--That the
food manufacturers shipping into
Indiana are confident of being
able to defeat by an action at this
time, in the federal court, the
food rules of the state designed
to prevent the sale in Indiana of
food stuffs in which benzoate of
soda is used is indicated by let
ter forwarded to H. L. Barnard,
state food and drug commission,
by Valley, lind grocer, who
had objected to a shipment OF
goods sent him by a Louisiana
firm.
The letter also indicates that
the food manufacturers are either
confident OF being able to over
ride the state laws prohibiting the
use of alum in manufactured
foods, or to mis- -ad the grocers,
as to the purposes of the state
board of health. The letter is
from the Hersch Brothers COM
pany of Louisville, manufacture
ers mustard, pickles and table
condiments.
1t was written to Doc Mcclure
of Vevay, and is as follows:
Dear sir-Replying to your
favor of the 21st, beg to state we
shipped these goods to you under
the national food law of the Unit
ed States, which law we are car
rying out in full in every respect.
In view of the fact that the COM
missioner of your state notified
some of the trade not TO sell
goods that have benzoate of soda
in. several large firms in the Unit
ed States who manufacture high
grade goods, and w:lo use alum
and benzoate of soda. filed suit in
Indianapolis, and pending the de-
cision there are no prosecutions
raking place and we are satisfied
that there will not be any, be-
cause benzoate of soda has been
declared by the United States
referee board as absolutely harm
less, and you can rest assured
that il the decision of the Judge is
against benzoate, it will be car
ried TO the supreme court of the
United States by the men inter
ested in the matter, which, of
course will mean several years for
a decision, so no prosecutions, IN
our judgment, can take place, SO
you can continue selling the
goods, and if your food commits
sioner again calls your attention
TO this matter, refer him to US and
give us the name OF the party,
and we will take the matter up
with him direct, for he should be
acquainted with what is going on
in Indianapolis.
AS stated above, dispose of TIE
goods as purchased and You necd
have no fear whatever, for we
have no record of any prosecution
ever having taken place in your
state, for all houses in our line are
shipping goods into your state
| and will continue to do so until
the United States supreme court
stops us. which we are satisfied
they will not, in view of the ref
erence board having decided that
alum and benzoate are not injur-
ious."
Warned to Beware.
MCGUIRE was told by the food
and drug commissioner that it
would be exceedingly dangerous
for him to undertake to act on the
advice of the writer of the letter.
Zone might as well say that be-
cause an appeal has been taken
in a murder case no more actions
against murders will be entered
said Mr.. barnard. Prosecutions
for the use of benzoate will con-
tinue as long as the Indiana law
is on the statute books"
"The statement concerning al
um is entirely misleading. The
referee board did not consider
alum in its experiments and there
has been no easing up in the use
of alum in foodstuffs in any quar-
ter"