Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-29
UNCLE SAM CONCERNED Oven
CLAIMS THAT CEREAL CAUSES
PELlAGRA.
EXPERTS peLvE INTO
eEcReTs or SPOILED FOOD
Sound Corn Shown 20 Be Most Health.
fuI Of Feeds-Dspartmsnt Advise
Asainst Use Of Spoiled Product
Whsthsr or Not Il Causes Dissass-
Costly Living eusabee Hits Army.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington. Dec. 29.-Uncle Sam Is
considerably concerned over the fire.
quent assertion that pellagra is caused
by the eating Of unsound and unht
corn. Being the greatest raiser OF corn
in the world, it naturally follows that
any such charge as this against the
corn crop is Likely to affect his pocket
book seriously unless it is met and dis
posed OF
Under these circumstances. the de-
Investigations on the subject. The in
vestigations are being made by Otis
F. Black and DR.. Carl L. Alsberg, chem
ical biologists of the bureau of plant
industry. AS a necessary preliminary
step in the investigation Of the alleged
relation between spoiled corn and pei
Iagra. they have made a critical study
Of the methods of detecting deteriora-
ton in corr and corn meal.
The department of agriculture takes
the position that sound corn is a most
wholesome food. Whether corn that
has been heated. fermented or nodded
is dangerous Is a question on which
the department is not yet ready to pass.
That 1t is unsafe n the cause Of pei
lagra is so firmly believed in Italy and
the Austrian provinces OF the Tyrol
that the governments OF these
tries have enacted stringent laws regu-
lating the quality of corn and corn
meal which may be sold or imported.
The possibility that soiled corn may
possess poisonous qualities seems to
have passed unnoticed in this country"
say the experts of the bureau of plant
industry.
So far. the departments position is
that tee eating Of spoiled corn is unde
sirable whethe it produces pellagra or
not. 1t is held that the most reliable
way of distinguishing good corn from
bad is to determine the acidity and that
corn having an acidity above a certain
point is to be avoided. The department
points out that the peliaera is peculiar
iy likely to appear in Insane asylums.
hospitals and penal institutions and it
Is advised that those purchasing corn
for food purposes shall insist that II
contain not more than II per cent Of
moisture. that the meal shall not be
IIlduc IIOLH ueSSTIl1IItulCO COIH anu tldS
the acidity shall not exceed thirty. that
:s that rot over thirty cubic centimeters
Of alkali shall be necessary to neutral
ize the extract from 1000 grams. or a
kilogram. Of the corn.
The inquiries thus far made are be-
ing followed up with further inquiries
into the actual relation between spoiled
corn and pellagra.
The house committee on military af-
fairs has been finding out something
about the cost Of living In the army
and how 1t is going UP. 1t appears that
that extremely well-known bugaboo,
the high cost Of living, has struck the
army as hard as he has folks in civilian
life.
Commissary General Sharpe before
the house committee on military az
fairs gave some comparative figures in
the cost Of the army ration that show
a rapid and heavy increase in the cost
OF food articles. He submitted a COM
parative statement showing the aver
age cost Of the army ration for the
irst four months Of the fiscal veal 1911
against the anne period for the fiscal
year, 1910: also against the average
cost for the entire fiscal year 1910.
These figures show that on an aver
age the army ration has increased In
cost about 10 per cent in the past
year. In the Philippines. the increase
has been ave more. And the increase
is still going on. General Sharpe thinks
that by the end Of this fiscal year, the
army ration will reach "a cent in cost.
It now averages 1884.
It appears that the war depart
ment a e g utterly failed to figure
correctly Its estimates of what would
be necessary to feed the army. I: ap-
pears there was no conception Of the
extent to which food prices would go
up. The result was the estimates were
cut to a point entirely too low. Some
OF the house committee on military az
fairs think this was done purposely and
merely to make a showing Of economy.
But a. any rate, the bill carried ST.
7s6, 900, which was $500, 900 more than
the estimates. Then. on top Of that
General Sharpe was obliged to go be-
fore he committee and get 31.125, 600
as a deficiency appropriation in order
to help out That was nearly all used
up.
II do not think any Of US could imag-
Inc that prices were going up as much
as they are" said General Sharpe. in
explaining to the committee the in
crease in cost Of ratioEs.
One Of the senate employees who will
not be disturbed in the e "a the
democrats control the upper branch Of
congress two years hence. Is Kennedy
Rae, OF Indiana, clerk of the senate
committee on appropriations. Like
Yo1pno ~ Cn,,e<s 4~ thA h0,,oo ADrNo.
priations committee, Rae's knowledge Of
appropriation bills is so extensive that
senators would not know how to go
about the preparation Of a bill with
out his assistance.
They are telling a good story about
Rae's first visit to Washington. When
Jim" Hemenway, of Indiana, was
chairman OF the house committee, he
got Rae a job as assistant clerk Of his
committee. Rae was ordered to report
1t h committee room on March 4.