The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-31

unusuabIe tomatoes. the skins. cores
and stems from the peeling tables.
and the surplus juice from the filling
machines. all of which may be allowed
to stand during the day and be run
through the cyclone in the evening. At
the end of the season the frosted and
haif-ripe fruit may be used. Part of
this material cannot be considered
sound fruit" as contemplated by the
food and drugs act. The pulp il put
up in barrels. preserved. and allowed
to stand possibly in the sun, until a
sufficient quantity has accumulated
for shipment Old ketchup barrels
may be used and be none too clean.
As a result it is not uncommon to see
an inch or more of pulp in the bottom
of a car at the end Of shipment.
caused by the blowing out of the bar
rel heads from fermentation. The
sanitary condition of the factory may
be poor. the handling OF the goods
be unelean, the spices be the refuse
from the spice houses. the sugar be
of the cheapest grade and the bottles
only rinsed or be used without even
that precaution. The ketchup is 4 con-
coetion so heavily spieed with hot
spices that the tomato flavor is lost
and might as well be anything else
The color is normally dirty brown"
How 1t Is Done.
The divergence between Or. Longs
report that benzoate of soda cannot
be used to conceal inferiority and DIR.
Billings statement of conditions as
he found them. is 80 wide and start
ling that the writer undertook a per-
sonal investigation. He found con-
ditions precisely as described by DR.
Biting. The process of making pulp
begins with the peeling of the toma-
toes. They are placed in wire has
kets and plunged into boiling water
to loosen the skins. The .tpeelers"
are given bucket of the steamed to-
matoes. With their left hand they
cut out the core. green and rotten
parts. When the tomato lis trimmed"
II Is tossed into a bucket which goes
to the filling machine. The waste is
thrown into bucket on the floor, to-
gether with any tomatoes too rotten
or too green for canning. This ma
terial, which is surely garbage, Is
gathered up. run through a cyclone to
reduce II to pulp and to remove the
skins and such hard parts as will
not squash up. stewed to the proper
consistency and run into barrels.
1t Is then preserved with lbenzoate
of soda and shipped to ketchup man.
ufacturers. The amount of benzoate
of soda used depends, the writer was
informed. on the season and the point
of destination hot weather recurring
that more of the preser, alive be used.
He was also informed that the stuff
would keep indefinitely and could be
worked up into ketchup through the
winter. The writer was forcibly i'm
pressed with the labor conditions. Men.
women and children. of all agcs.'
white. black. and Poles, were en-
ployed and as the garbage passing
through their hands was destined to
eventually find its way to the table in
ketchup preserved with benzoate of
soda, an investigation into the quar-
ters for living and eating was made.
At the largest factory we visited.
where 100 or more barrels were sitting
in the sun waiting for their load OF
pulp. We found some so to 100 Poles,
men. women and children. housed in a
long shed divided into seven or eight
sleeping compartments. Each COM
partment contained an enclosed Sleep
ing room and partially enclosed
place to eat. The cooking was done
IN the fields. along with the family
washing. The only toilet facilities
provided consisted of a small out
house. Files visited the camp and
pulp factory impartially A number
OF photographs We're taken of this
camp which is situated right in a
town of several thousand inha bitants.
photographs We're also taken of
number Of other camps the conditions
OF which is intolerable. as well as of
carts hauling garbage. workmen and
women and others showing the condl-
tions found. An especially good one
shows young Polish working girl in
rubber boots and leather apron. COW
cred with filth.
From the results of his investigation.
which were most carefully made and
during which he was accompanied by
a competent witness. the writer is pre-
pared to state that there can be no
question that benzoate of soda is used
to conceal inferiority.'. and that DIR. /
Fittings, report on the same is fully
justified.