The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-07
LADD CALLS
FOOD GRAFTERS
SINGING ARRANGEMENT OF
THOSE WHO OPPOSE PASSAGE
OF MODERN PURE FOOD AND
HONEST PACKAGE MEASURES
IN A RECENT BULLETIN.

In a recent bulletin Prof. e. F. Ladd,
pure food commissioner of North Da-
kota had the following:
Just as soon as a measure Is intro
duced into any state legislature for the
real protection Of the consuming pub
lie the wholesale grocers, manufacture
ers and other interests begin to growl
and show their teeth. They cry graft
and fraud and point the finger of scorn
at everyone who would protect the real
interests of the consuming public.
In Mississippi there has just recently
been introduced a law which is intend
ed to furnish protection to the public SO
that they might know what they are
getting and have what they pay for.
But the wholesale grocers, manufac-
turers and other interests are up in
arms, and have prepared a circular
which they are flooding the state of
Mississippi with. It is said that the
National Association of Wholesale
Grocers is doing all it can to prevent
the enactment into law Of such bill
Now, what is there in this measure
that is so Objectionable to honest bust
ness methods? Let us see what the
objections of the wholesale grocers
really are They say:
"The bill requires the name of the
manufacturer or jobber, and also the
grade or class of the product to be de-
clared upon the label"
Have not the consuming public a
right to know what grade and class of
products they are buying? Should they
not know the name Of the manufacture
er or jobber to tell these facts?
They further say: "The bill abso-
lutely requires that the weight, volume
or contents be declared upon the label
of all food products"
What a terrible sin 1t is that the
manufacturers, compounders and
wholesale grocers of the United States
are no longer permitted to fleece and
defraud the public on short weight and
measure products. If they were doing
an honest business, would this law
hurt them? Not bit of it, and they
know It, With regard to this point
they say further:
This provision, like other objection
able features mentioned herein, is abb
solutely at variance with the national
statute. which requires that the weight
ana measure, IL given, shall be true
and correct"
Now, If the weight is not given, I'M
der the national law they may put out
products weighing IS ounces and leave
the consumer to believe that he is get
ting a full pound. This is what the
Wholesale Grocers' association seems
to stand for.
Are the public to permit these inter-
ested parties to dictate the character Of
the law to be enacted, or shall the con-
Stunning public themselves have some
thing to say A law such as the whole
sale grocers, manufacturers, and others
would have passed should properly be
entitled ga Law TO Legalize Fraud in
Fleeing the Public"
There is another feature in the law
which they object to, which is as fol-
lows:
'It empowers the state chemist to
publish in bulletins and in all the news
papers of the state his result Of inves-
tigation with foods, even in cases
where the shipper has not been tried
or convicted in the violation of the
statute"
What a sin and crime to let the peo-
pie know what the ANALYSIS show with
regard to foods beverages, etc., that
are being sold to the public. This very
thing Is done in North Dakota. They
say also:
1.-THE bill actually prohibits and
names the use of various preservatives.
including sulfurous acid, saccharin and
sulfate of copper, which are permitted
under the national law"
Who says the national law permits
any such thing? The courts have not
so decided; some OF the best authorities
on the subject have not SO decided,
Who shall say that one pound of
saecharin. costing about So, is equal in
food value to from 800 to 500 pounds
of cane sugar? And yet It has as much
sweetening power and is always used
so as to defraud and deceive the pub
lie. 1t would seem from the state
ments made that this is what these
manufacturers are most interested in.
And so wes might go on and analyze
the features Of the law, which are in
many respects similar to the North
Dakota law. The people must stand up
for their own rights and protect their
interests before the legislature IL they
would not be continually defrauded,
deceived and. in many cases. their
health injured by the products which
these interests would have legalized.