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.

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 II Is the most popular line
in the sense OF the number OF pas
sengers carried in the city.
IT wonder IL the people OF WASH
ington realize that the laws OF the
District OF Columbia give better pro-
lection to the cow which furnishes
them milk than to the citizen who
rides in the cars?" said DR.. Wiley. "I
venture to assert that IL a dairyman
dared to keep his cows In a barn
which had ten times as much air a1
can be found In our crowded street
cars ne would be prosecuted to the
full extent OF the law.
When the cars are crowded. an
are those on some OF our lines, each
passenger has about two cubic feet
OF air. That is many times less than
the law demands shall be given a
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 SC slet 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
fiuenza, or have brought whoopinr
cough, scarlet fever or measles to our
children"
DR.. 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 cues
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
10 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 Conn
mission, held recently, that il could
not prevent crOwding cars because
the law prohibiting crowding did not
set any standard by which IL could
be decided whether a car was over
croWded-an opinion which, natural
~, excited even the victims of the
transportation lines 20 laughter.
Wfley's Hands Tied.
Mention OF the name of DR.. Wilev
reminds that the pure food crusader
at last has got his hands tied i'm a
way which probably is perfectly sat-
lsiactory TO the opponents of the pure.
FOOD law. 1t was all done so quietly
neatly and sticky that few have
realized that it 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
lcltor OF the Department of AgricuI-
ture ana not by the Bureau of Chem
istry, as heretofore. This means thar
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 L. McCabe, solicitor
~ In9 department Of Agriculture.
Mr. McCabe never has been regarded
as friendly 10 the pure food law.
The general impression amons
those most familiar with the subject
is that since President Roosevelt Went
OUT OF ofilce the law has been greatly
weakened, and that il now is very diff
icult 10 secure an important convic-
tlon under II or a decision which will
in any appreciable degree embarrasss
manufacturers. DIR. 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 f,,r-
hlshlng or pure food products TO the.
public. '''N
Recent Prosecutions Under Pure Food
Act.
The Secretary of Agriculture has
announced
OF seventy cases arising under the
pure 1000 law. In the great majority
OF these cases the manufacturers
were fined IS or $40, although in
some cases the fine. was greater. In
number the defendant was allowed
10 give bond that the goods would not
DE sold In violation OF the law. MANY
OF the cases arose out of the contain
ers carrying label that the package
heId a certain amount in pounds or
quarts, when the actual amount con-
tanned therein was less.
Several Virginia Cases.
In the batch OF decisions are sew
erai involving Virginia dealers
Il. +: Mueller, of Norfolk, shipped
10 washington 444 sacks of ''molasses
reed which the label declared to con-
tain cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal and
wheat bran among other Ingredients
Inc department found that none of
these entered into the feed, a fact adj
united by Samuel T. Dickerson. of
Washington. who claimed the goods.
and was allowed to take the product
on giving bond that it should not be
solo contrary to law. and paying costs
in the case.
The Baltimore Manufacturing Com
pany shipped from that city to Vir-
glnla old Orchard Pure Vinegar
which the chemist of the department.
found to be "a dilute solution of acetic
ACID artihcially 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 i'm
war against powders advertised to
cure headaches, even going to the
length of issuing a bulky bulletin,
calling on the public not to take the
preparations, which generally con-
tain phenacetins, acetanilids. antipv-
rlne, or morphia, or all four. The
preparations condemned in these IatS
decisions are "Eames' Tonic Head
ache WATERS (acetanilide). .'Knox's
Head-ake Powders (understatine
amount OF acetanilide), "Telephone
Headache Tablets" (acetaniljdeCo
InI