The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-05-13
CHEMICAL
Pure Food Commission to Determine
Quality by this Method

Quality by this Method
Vermillion-What Is proving to be
one Of the most important branches
Of the state administration of South
Dakota is the state food and DIR G
commission. at the head of which is
Prof. Alfred N. Cook of Vermi lion,
who also is connected with the chem
sity here.
The department." said Prof. Cook,
has this year taken up the systematic
examination Of drugs in the state.
Several hundred analysis will have
been made before the end of the year.
We are not yet ready to publish this
list OF analyses, but suffice it to say
that a large per cent of them are eit1-
err above or below the standard, show
ing that it was high time that this de.
partment Of work was instituted.
About five hundred SAMPLES OF
foods have been analysed in u lob
o%ratories since the present commits
siOners assumed Office last July. Sp7-
cial attention has been given canned
goods. Chemical analysis is the only
satisfactory basis Of inspection. OR
work has disclosed that the food sit
uation from the STANDPOINT Of adu'-
tcratiOn is in a very satisfactory COW
ditiOn. There is a verv common id a
that the majority of foods N sNle in
tie market are badly adri'erated,
which is far from the Truth. The f'ct
is that onlv.a very small per cent are
found to be adulterated. and those
who buy the best grades of g0oas
stand a very small chance of bpying
anything which could be considered
adulterated.
There are many firms that wonl1
sell adulterated goods II they dared,
but the food situation IS being so
closely watched by both state and ma
tional food officials. that the hiohlv
adulterated and 'doped' goods of a
very few years ago have nearly dis
appeared from the market. Most o.
the companies doing wholesale bust
ness are upright and honorable and
have no desire to sell illegal goods.
However. eternal vigilance is the
price of success. There are COM
panies not a few, that are seeking ev-
cry legal and lax loophole to sneak
In illegal goods, in the hone Of avoid
ing detection, and if the firm grin the
law now has on the situation honld
relax for a single year, the country
would be flooded with adulternti7 ms
as bed as four years ago. IN all
manufacturers and wholesalers would
be compelled to come to the level Of q
few years e or else go to the wall.
II wish to say a word in this c n
nection with regard to the national
denartment at Washington. Several
articles have recently appeared in
various parts of the country de-
n~Ouncing the work Of the national de-
nartment and declaring that the ma
tional (rure food) law had become a
dead letter. Since being appointed
commissioner | have come in close
touch with the work of the national
department IN many points and can
sDeak from absolute knowledge, and
would saw that such articles and
statements, in my Judgment, have
been inspired hv the enemies of the
national department. O bv Ignorance
s'The national department has prov
ed a very g~eat help in enforcing the
law in South Dakota. They are con-
ducting prosecutions daily Throughout
the country against persons who are
violating interstate commerce laws
with regard to foods and drugs. Tee
are a few instances where thin"s
might be different. but feel certain
the national department Is making an
honest effort to protect the consum-
inc public. and 7 doubt If there is any
national law on the statute books
today which is better enforced. ard
very few which are so well enforced.