Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-25

people themselves had nothing to do
with 1t. OF course, the consumer was
innocent. But there he stopped.
He declined to be led by members of
the committee any further into the
process of elimination. All he would say
was that the provision, which had been
carried by one OF the appropriation bills
for the past eight or ten years. was
eliminated last year. and that the fact
had very much, indeed. hampered the
work of the bureau of chemistry in pro-
tecting the public from deleterious food
products.
How to Tell a Fresh Egg.
Aside from this bit Of hint that
large and mysterious agencies had been
at work under cover with great success
today's hearing had to do with the great
American hen-in fact. DR.. Wiley de-
livered A monologue on the hen, with a
few interruptions and verbal interlinea-
tons by members of the special COM
miftee
For instance
DIR. Wiley. asked Interlocutor
Pearre. what is the most certain
method of assuring ones self that an
That's sse eass.S replied replied the govern
ment's chief chemist tersely. Watch
the hen
But" continued Mr.. Pearre, Il want
to know how to tell when an egg ceases
to he fresh and begins to verge on the
passe."
III answer that" said DR.. Wiley, '1f
you. in turn. will tell me when a pig
ceases to be pig and begins to be-
come a hog"
Then some other member Of the COM
mittee started on a new tack.
Dr. Wiley had mentioned that cold stor-
a hlaCoin o
to humanity. but that often food products
are put into cold storage in state of
decomposition. and that, consequently,
cold storage can't be blamed for the con-
ditton they are In when they come out.
Well. them asked somebody. how
long would you keep bad eggs in cold
storage If you had your way?'
Long enough to destroy them," snap
ped back the doctor.
Wiley Will Not Uncover Rascals.
In beginning his statement DR.. Wiley
referred to the elimination of this pre-
vously mentioned provision authorizing
the Investigation OF the efficiency Of cold
storage.
Eight or ten years ago, or perha ps
not quite as long as that" he said, Sen
ator Stewart had inserted in one Of the
appropriation bills a provision to this
effect. On this basis we conducted
elaborate inquiries, which were continued
without cessation until this year, when
we were forced to stop. owing to the
elimination of the provision of authorize
ton by Congress
Have you an opinion as to why this
appropriation was withdrawn at this
tme?' asked Representative Johnson OF
Kentucky.
Il not only have an opinion" replied
DR.. Wiley, but an absolute conviction
on that subject" Further than this he
would not go.
Dr. Wiley then briefly reviewed the
methods of the department in conducting
the inquiries referred to-
Exoneration of Cold Storage.
Some Of the most grieyous evils of cold
storage" he declared. ARE due to the
advanced state Of decomposition of arti-
cles when placed in cold storage. 1t is
not fair to take the condition of such
articles when removed from cold storage
as an example OF the effects of cold stor-
age upon them.
AS a matter OF fact, he said, il had moi
yet been determined just how long perish
able food products which, while perfectly
fresh, had been placed In cold stora &c
! could be kept there. He thought limit
OF six months OH eggs would be too short
and a year too long.
A year in cold storage would permit
eggs of one season to be carried over 70
the next. Nine months. he considered
giving the opinion offhand. would fulfil
all objections.
In answer to queries from some com
mittee members. DR.. Wiley explained
| that the department now had authority
| under the food and drugs act, to seize
| bad food in transit from one state to
another
Wiley's Taste Is Acute.
| But his monologue on the egg was the
most interesting portion of his discourse.
All the members of the committee seemed
decidedly put out because DR.. Wiley wa.
unable to tell them how to tell absoluteI,
fresh eggs from almost fresh eggs, nea,
fresh eggs and not quite fresh eggs with
out breaking the shells. They asked hin
| how he found out this important fact
WELL" replied he. II want to sa,
| right here and now that no man car
/ fool me with cold storage egg. Nv,
| got very fine sense Of taste, much fine,
than most people have. l think. / car
! tell the taste of cold storage egg right
/ away"
| He added in this connection that cold
storage eggs with a peculiar taste-such
as the ordinary person refers to as too
| eggy.' although he didn't use that par
| ticuiar term-might be just as whole
ONE as the genuine fresh product
Farmer Is the Culprit.
| Then the committee wanted to know
! who was responsible for the number O
! passe eggs on the market. Just at thi.
| point the ia rmIng population of the coun
| try got a jolt. DIR. Wiley didn't jump OF
| the commission men or on the cold stor
age people. as most of the committee evi
IDENTIFY expected, but laid the blame on tn,
| farmer
/ With a little trick of word paintint
he took his hearers right back to tn,
big barn and the haymow, with the hid
den nests of eggs of uncertain date. tn,
\ frugal farmers wife working off thes,
passe units of a great food staple on tn,
travelling huckster, the huckster in turf
| sticking the commission man. the com
mission man passing 1t along to tn,
dealer and the ultimate consumer gettin,
stung the worst OF all
Dated eggs" Dr. Wiley said ARE tn.
| only safeguard against fraud and only
then when the integrity of the dealer il
| known"
| The committee expressed delight vile:
| DIR. Wiley told them how the government
had put a stop to the importation from
China of broken eggs in cans. heavil.
| charged with preservatives, which thu
| bakers of all the big cities used to use
| he said, To make those delicious cake.
and things.
He was not able TO answer a question
by Representative Coudrey as to whethe
the commission men of the District o
Columbia were in trust He had no
! investigated that subject, he said.