The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-05-12
FOR PURER FOOD
STATE COMMISSION WILL MAKE
CHEMICAL TESTS TO DE-
TERMlNE QUALITY
CANNED GOODS AND DRUGS
Work of the Commission Shows that
Food and Drugs Inspected are
Much Purer than Gen.
orally Supposed

Vermillion-What is proving to be
n of the most important branches
OF the state administration of South
Dakota is the state food and drrg
commission, at the head of which is
Prof. Alfred n. Cook of Vermi lion,
who also is connected with TIE chem
istry department Of the state univer-
sity here.
"TFe apartment" said Prof. Cook,
has tbs 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 vet ready to publish this
list of analyses, but suffice 1t to say
that a large per cent of them are eth
or 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 analy7ed in our lab
~OratOries since the present commits
siCners assumed Office last July. Spa-
cial attention has been given canned
goods. Chemical ANALYSIS is the only
satisfactory basis of inspection. Our
work has disclosed that the food sit
uatinn from the standnoint of adul-
t"ratiOn &c IN n very satisfactory rom
ditiOn. There IS a ve~" common idea
that the majority IF foods on sale in
the market are Nadlv adulterated,
which is far from the t"uth. The feet
Is that On1v a vorv small per cont a~e
fcund TO he adul+eratod. and tNO~e
who buy the best grades IF g7o's
stand a VIEW small chance of b1vi"g
anvthiro which could be considered
adr'ferated.
"There are many firms that wo"l1
sell adultprated gods if they dared,
hut the food situation IS being so
closely watched bv both state and ma
t'orol food offc'a1a. that the hi"hlv
adultprated and 'doped' goods Of a
very few years ago have nearly dis
arpeared from tho market. Most OF
the companies doing wholesale bust
ness are upright end honorable and
have no desire to SOL illegal goods.
However. eternal vigilance is the
rrice Of success. There are COM
paries not 2 few. that ero seeking ev-
erv LEGAL and lav looDhole to sneak
in i1Inga1 goods. in tho hone Of avoid
ing detection. and IL the fl IN grin TIE
Jaw now naS on lNb SiIlld' Ol cil''lu
relay for a sirole wear, the courtrv
would be flooded with adultPrati MS
rs bed as four years ago. and al
manufacturers and wholesalers would
he compelled to come to the level Of a
few years ago or else gn TO the wall.
at wish TO say a word in this en-
,ection with REGARD to the national
denartment at Washington. S"veral
articles have recently appeared in
warriors parts of the country de-
nonncing the work of the national de-
rartment and declaring that t"o ma
tional rnure food) law had bc-oTe n
dead letter. Since being a~"Ointed
commissioner I have come - core
touch with the work of the rat'on"l
deDartment in many points and can
sneak from absolute knowl"dge, and
would saw that such articles end
statements. in my Judgment, have
heen inspired hv the enemies OF the
national department. or BY ignoran"e.
"The national department. has prov
ed a verv great help in enforcing the
law in South Dakota. They are con-
Hrrcting prosecutions dailv t~hroUghoLt
the country against persons who are
violating interstate commerce laws
with regard to foods and drugs. TEE
are a few Instances where things
might he different. but 7 feel certain
the national department is making an
honest effort to rrCtect the conGum-
ing public. and I doubt II there is any
national law on the statute books
today which is better enforced, ard
very few which are so well enforced.