Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-27
FOOD LABEL FOUGHT
Wholesalers Give Arguments
to House Committee.
IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLY
Evaporation Would Prevent Tag
ging With Exact Weight-No
Scale to Go By.
IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLY

Louis Runkel, representing the Cocoa
and Chocolate Manufacturers Associa-
ton of the United States. the National
Confectioners' Association of the United
States and the American Speciality Manu-
facturers' Association; John A. Green,
secretary of the National Association of
Retail Grocers; w. NJ. Mccormick of Bal
timore. representing the United Drug
Trade of Maryland: c. n. Duley of Balti-
more. representing the Sea Gull Specially
Company. and J.. S. Munse. representing
Kenyon & Co. OF Richmond. Va.
appeared before the Moore special COM
mittee at it's meeting last night to pro-
test against the enactment of the pend
ing measures proposing the labelling of
packages containing food, beverages and
drugs sold in the District of Columbia.
Loss by Evaporation.
Mr.. Runkel opposed the labelling of
packages as to weight Or measure, be-
cause both vary through evaporation.
making it impossible to adopt standard
He declared products are sold to the
consumer nowadays cheaper than ever
before. and it would be wrong to enact
measure that would discourage the
putting Jul VI lOod plVuuCtS III ScdiCt
packages. as that form of handling them
Is a vast Improvement from the sanitary
standpoint.
Mr.. Runkel said a specific compulsory
law, applied to food products. obliging
manufacturers to place the correct weight
or measure or count on all packages, is a
physical impOSsibility. He opposed the
measure to tax vendors who sell to a
limited class of customers as unjust. and.
instead of reducing. would increase the
cost of products to the consumer.
He said If there are any unlawful
combinations in the District the offend
ers can be brought to justice by the APP
plication of the Sherman antitrust law.
The proposed law he declared. would be
a detriment to commerce.
Retail Profit 20 Per Cent
Secretary Green of the National Asso-
citation of Retail Grocers said his or
garszation has about 100000 members and
is affiliated with the District Grocers' AS
ISOLATION The average retail dealer. he
declared. makes profit of 20 per cent.
He said 1t would be impossible to de-
termine the exact weight or measure Of a
package of goods and made an example
of canned tomatoes, where. he said the
process OF filling is such that the proper
tions Of water and tomato in each can
are bound to be different
w. M. Mccormick OF Baltimore, repre-
senting the United Drug Trade Of Mary
land, well as the spice and extract
trade, said there is no scale in existence
that would be accurate in determining
the amount contained in boxes and bot
ties.
c. n. -Duley of Baltimore. representing
the Sea Gull Speciality Company. said the
product put out by his firm. baking pow
der is already labeled as to weight. He
protested that the size of the letters re-
Quired by the proposed act would work
q hardship.
J. s. Munse. representing Kenyon &c
Co. of Richmond, Va, appeared to speak
on the measure to regulate the storage
of food supplies in the District. The pro-
posed law would make the time limit six
months. Mr.. Munse made no objection
except to ask that the phraseology be
changed from ANY meat 20 fresh
meat
The committee will hold another hear
ing next Monday.