The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-07-14
CLOSED ST. CARS
ARE NOT HEALTHY
ONLY OPEN CARS OUGHT TO BE
USED IN SUMMER-DR. WILEY
ON HEALTH MEASURES.

Richmond has closed street cars on
any OF its city lines during the hot
season the patrons thereof may be in
terested in the opinion concerning
such closed, crowded cars. expressed
by DR.. Harvey A. Wiley, chief chem
list of the Department or Agriculture,
and the untiring foe of everything
which makes against human health
One line operating in the capital OF
the nation, not only operates closed
cars, but actually has no other kind.
although 1t is the most popular line
In the sense Of the number Of pas
sengers carried in the city.
Il wonder If the people of WASH
lngton realize that the laws of the
District of Columbia give better pro-
lection to the COW which furnishes
rides in the cars?" said DR.. Wiley. "I
venture TO assert that If a dairyman
dared to keep his cows in a barn
which had ten times as much air as
can be found In our crowded street
cars he would be prosecuted to the
full extent Of the law.
When the cars are crowded, as
are those on some or our lines, each
passenger has about two cubic feet
of air. That is many times less than
the law demands shall be given
COW. The result is that every pas
senger in such a crowded car breathes
the same air many times over inside
of ten minutes. That means that every
kind of infectious disease is being
spread daily. We know that persons
suffering from scarlet fever measles
yes, even smallpoX-not to mention
tuberculosis, ride in the closed cars
We breathe the air exhaled from those
lungs-the foul. disease-laden air
and some morning we wake up to
find we are suffering from grip, in
tuenza, or have brought whooping
cough, scarlet fever or measles to our
children"
DIR. Wiley says he has written many
letters to the street railway COM
panies, pleading with them to furnish
better accommodations, but has re-
celved no reply. He urges the Health
Commission of the District TO arrest
the motorman and conductor of every
crowded car, but the official in ques-
ton says he has not the authority to
do so.
The operation Of the closed cars on
the city lines this summer has aroused
tremendous criticism in Washington.
but the authorities refuse to act in
| the matter, although corporation
counsel of the District holds that the
District Commissioners and the Dis
trict Railway Commission has power
TO prevent crowding cars, and, prob
ably, to prevent operation OF closed
cars in the heated season. The Rail-
way Commission, which is a subordi-
nate OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. held recently, that IL could
not prevent crowding cars because
| che law prohibiting crowding did not
| set any standard by which il could
/ be decided whether car was over
croWded-an opinion which. natural
iy. excited even the victims of the
| transportation lines 20 laughter
Wiley's Hands Tied
Mention OF the name OF DR.. WILEY
reminds that the pure food crusader
at last mas got his hands tied in a
way which probably is perfectly sat
istactory to the opponents Of the pure
food law. 1t was all done so quietly.
neatly and slickly that few have
realized that il has been done. The
agricultural appropriation bill passed
at the recent session of Congress
provided in an insignificant appear
| ing paragraph, that all prosecutions
Tor violation of the pure food act
should be inaugurated by the So
hcltor OF the Department of AgricuI-
ture and not by the Bureau OF Chem
istry, as heretofore. This means that
prosecution of manufacturers who vio-
late the law is to be taken ont OF
| the hands OF DR.. Wiley and placed in
charge OF George /. McCaDe, soncitor
OF the Department of Agriculture
| Mr.. McCabe never has been REGARDED
as friendly TO the pure food law.
The general impression among
those most familiar with the subject
| IS that since President Roosevelt went
out of office the law has been greatly
weakened. and that il now is very dif-
| hcult TO secure an important conVic-
| ton under it or decision which viii
IN any appreciable degree embarrass
/ manufacturers. DR.. Wiley always has
| said he did not like to embarrass
| manufacturers, but he thought their
| embarrassment, financial or other
wise of less importance than the fur
nlshlng OF pure food products to the
public.
Recent Prosecutions Under Pure Food
Act.
The Secretary OF Agriculture has
just announced decisions in upwards
OF seventy cases arising under the
pure food law. In the great majority
| OF these cases the manufacturers
were fined So or $40, although in
some cases the fine was greater. In
| a number the defendant was allowed
to give bond that the goods would not
be sold in violation of the law. Many
OF the cases arose out of the contain
erS carrying a label that the package
held certain amount in pounds or
quarts, when the actual amount con-
talned therein was IeSs.
Several Virginia Gases.
In the batch of decisions are sew
eral involving Virginia dealers.
f. p. Mueller, of Norfolk, shipped
| to Washington 444 sacks of "molasses
feed" which the label declared to con-
| tain COlNOHSSGQ ulSdls alIalIa meal and
! wheat bran among other ingredients
The department found that none of
these entered into the feed, a fact ad-
mitted by Samuel II. Dickerson, of
| Washington, who claimed the goods,
and was allowed to take the product
on giving bond that it should not be
; sold contrary to law, and paying costs
in the case.
The Baltimore Manufacturing Com
pany shipped from that city to Vir-
/ r1rara OIL
which the chemist of the department
found to be "a dilute solution. Of acetic
acid artificially colored; fine, $50.
After Headache Powders.
Several of the decisions are against
manufacturers of headache powders
containing dangerous drugs without
the fact being set forth on the bottle.
The department has been engaged in
a war against powders advertised to
cure headaches. even going TO the
| a q hI1llr In,