Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1910-07-14
PURE FOOD MAN ACTIVE.
Brewers Agree To Comply With Law
and Properly Brand Products.

and Properly Brand Products.
POCATELLO,J July 12.-State Pure
Food Commissioner James II. Wallis
came down from Boise Sunday morn
ing and met With Franklin & Hayes
and their attorneys in reference 70
the near-beer situation. AS a result
Of this conference. the product of the
local brewers Will hereafter conform
to the pure food laws with respect
to it being properly branded. Before
leaving PocateIfo. Commissioner
Wallis gave out the following state
ment:
There seems to be an impression
with the manufacturers of near-beer
that they can put out product under
the name Of a temperance beverage
or non-intoxicating liquor so long
as the alcoholic strength did not ex-
ceed. 2 per cent. Here is where the
misunderstanding arose. The state
board of health last year adopted
standard which limits all near-beers
to one-haif of one per cent alcohol,
and any beverages which does not ex-
ceed this amount can be labeled a
Notwithstanding drink and sold as
such. All the samples analyzed by
the state chemist, both from the bot
tie, as we'll as from the keg. have eK-
ceeded this amount, and. consequent
ly, under the law. It Is an Illegal pro-
duct and subject to seizure. which
We have been doing.
THE law requires every food and
drink to be truthfully labeled 50 that
the consumers will not be deceived.
If he buys what is purported to be a
temperance drink, the law win pro-
tect him against being served with
an intoxicating liquor If he pur-
chases a product labeled 'near-beer'
then he expects that it Will not con-
tain a greater alcoholic strength than
one-half of one per cent If the
label on all goods contains no device
or sentence which is false or mis-
leading, or is not misbranded under
the law, then so far as the pure food
Jaws are concerned we have no COM
plant.
''Messrs. Franklin & Hayes have
agreed to ship out no more near
beer except that which conforms 10
the pure food laws. and the regula-
tions of the state board of health,
and all other manufacturers will be
expected to do the same. if they want
to do business in the state Of Idaho
without being interfered with
CAS- to the question whether near
beers. being fermented malt liquors,
conflict with the local option laws,
that is a matter which rests with the
county attorneys, who are responsible
for the enforcement Of that law Our
position with reference to this phase
Of the question was made plain in
the bulletin published i'm the press
10. the state Immediately following the
close of the convention Of Western
Food Omcials. held in Boise last
April There is nothing we can add
to what we said at that time.
Il want to make my position clear
as to the work 7 have done on this
'near-beer' situation. and that is this.
That have not done it at the sug-
gestion Of any man or for any poll
tical reason. as has been suggested.
Tn all my work under the pure food
laws Of our state 7 have tried to be
fair and consistent have not tried
to take any undue advantage, but
have been willing to give every and
every corporation a show so long as
they show a willingness to do the
right thing by the consuming public.
I believe in a square deal for ALL and
particularly. in the administration OF
our pure food laws, which are the
greatest protection to the health AMI
lives Of the people and the community
that could possibly be imagined"
With a canal from Lake Superior
to the Mississippi more people would