The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-05
BENzOATE War
TO BE CONTINUED
COMMISSIONERS or "PuRE FOOD
STATES" WILL CARRY FIGHT
TO HALLS or CONGRESS.

Washington, d. c., Oct 5.--Instead
OF the controversy over the use Of BEN
zoate OF soda as food preservative
having been settled at the Denver con-
vention of the State and National
Dairy and food departments In August
the forced victory of the advocates OF
this preservative at that convention
has apparently stimulated the COM
missioners of the Pure Food States"
to more vigorous efforts and their fight
will now be transferred to washington,
where 1t will probably receive no
small amount of attention during the
coming session of congress. AS the in
side facts concerning the Denver con-
vention become more generally known
! it is revealed as one where the arti-
fees of the politician were consider
ably more In evidence than the sober
thought Of the expert charged with the
duty OF protecting the public health.
AS far as benzoate of soda is concern
ed considerations of public health were
put aside and the question placed be-
fore the convention was merely wheth-
| er the Remsen boards report should
be sustained or not. This report was
to the effect that it's members had
made certain experiments in the feed
ing of benzoate of soda to healthy in
dividuals and had reached the mega
tive conclusions that their health was
not impaired thereby On the question
of endorsing this report the benzoites
won out and on the face of the returns
had a fair majority the vote being 81
IN T1sYfa -
that the delegates of three great state
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan
whose food laws rank among the very
best, declined to vote because of the
irregularity of the proceedings and
made this announcement from the floor
of the convention. These states were
all opposed to benzoate OF soda and
were entitled to three votes each. Had
they voted the result would have been
81 to 81. Eliminating the three votes
cast by the department of agriculture
and the three from the District of Col
umbia,. which were practically con-
trolled by the department, the result
would have stood 81 to 81, showing the
states represented were tie even upon
the question so adroitly presented.
Tactics Are Criticized.
The tactics employed to secure the
adoption of the resolution have been
unsparingly criticized. An employee of
the department of agriculture is said
to have been engaged for some weeks
| in campaigning in the different states
urging the attendance of delegates to
the convention to sustain the Remsen
report. Heewas on the scene at Dem
yer some days before the convention
opened giving out interviews and
working hard upon the delegates. AL
together 1t is claimed that no less than
eleven persons connected with the de-
partment of agriculture were at the
convention roofing for benzoate of
soda and it is unnecessary to say that
the prestige and presence of Secretary
Wilson exerted great influence in the
convention.
Even with this powerful govern
mentaF support, so active as TO be
characterized as interference" the
benzoites lodged the issue and took
lrefuge behind the skirts Of the col
llegiate gowns of DR. Ira Remsen and
his associates. They made it appear
that the Remsen board was being at
tackled and that in some way this was
a reflection on Secretary Wilson and
ex- President Roosevelt, and NOW is
the time for all good citizens to come
to the aid of their party" Many dele
gates to the convention said they were
not scientists and did not consider
themselves competent to pass upon the
report of scientific board, and wished
the matter dealt with from a practical
instead of a supper-scientific stand
point. To carry their point the ben
zoites presented a resolution In which
were incorporated references to the
Remsen board Secretary Wilson and
ex- President Roosevelt so that Its re-
| lection would be reflection upon all
three and especially on the invited
guests of the convention, Secretary
Wilson and the members Of the Rem
sen board who were all present. The
passage Of this resolution was hailed
by the benzoites as a great victory for
benzoate of soda, whereas a weaker
resolution could scarcely have been
framed. 1t merely stated that the as
ISOLATION endorses the report OF the
referee board of consulting scientific
experts appointed by Secretary Wilson
at the direction of President Roosevelt,
on benzoate of soda"
Flushed with their success in secur-
Ing the adoption Of this resolution, in
itself harmless, the benzoites put UP
a slate of officers and SO confident were
they of success that one Denver after
noon newspaper, which persisted in
calling II the Wilson" slate, announc-
ed in an early edition that it had been
elected. AS a matter of fact 1T was
smashed and the convention turned in
and adopted another resolution re-
questing President Taft and Secretary
Wilson to institute further studies
concerning the use Of preservatives
and along the broadcast lines" On this
resolution the food commissioners who
are opposed to benzoate OF soda will
conduct their fight In Washington next
winter. The Remsen board investi-
gated the action Of benzoate of soda
upon the digestive organs and kidneys
What the public is chiefly interested in
is its use to preserve canning factory
garbage.