Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-20

law has increased prices legitimately
no complaint would be made. A fair
advance by reason or competent gov
eminent inspection would also be
considered preferable to such scanda-
lous conditions as were reported
few years ago in some of the pack
ing houses of Chicago and elsewhere.
The public is aware from government
seizures that there has even been
traffic in decayed eggs, which are
broken, the contents frozen in cans
and sold secretly to confectioneries
and bakeries OF a baser sort. People
would rather go hungry than put
such poisonous stuff into their stom-
achs, If they find some pure food
too high they can turn to cheaper
pure varieties. In any case, they are
glad to know that authorizations or
the handling of food in an unsanitary
manner is now a punishable offense.
Agents of the treasury department
now collect samples of suspected
foods and drugs throughout the
country They are examined In one
of the twenty-one branch laborator'
ies,, where preliminary hearings are
accorded the manufacturers and deal
ers concerned. In case the proofs
call for such action the case goes to
the United States courts. Last year
1851 samples from interstate traffic
were examined in the branch labora'
tories and 1000 samples were for
warded to Washington. OF imported
products 8,476 samples were examin-
ed by the branch laboratories and
$500 were sent to Washington for
examination
After test of suspected samples
by the bureau of chemistry the report
goes to the board of food and drug
inspection. If the law appears to
have been violated citations are is
sued to the person from whom the
samples were purchased. The hear
ings are private and open to all who
are concerned in the case. Hearings
are also granted at points where the
branch laboratories are situated.
After the evidence IS weighed the
case is either dismissed, placed in
allegiance or submitted for prepara-
ton in legal form. Tie secretary of
agriculture decides if the case shall
be referred to the. courts for prose-
cution.
That some of the questions are per-
picking is we'll known; but dealers
are in awe of the law!,' and its ad-
ministration can be pronounced ef-
fective. Seventy decisions had been
made up to the end Of last year.
Bleached -four is still in the courts
and decisions are yet to be reached
in the labelling of yeast, weights and
measures, chocolate, cocoa, oysters,
New Orleans molasses, alum and
some other. articles: The secretary
of agriculture reports that manufac-
turers and jobbers have acquiesced in
the decisions and complied with
them, so that the desired results
of the law have been attained with
out harshness. In no case so far
has the department reported for
prosecution cases against others than
the persons originally responsible for
the adulteration or misbranding.
Foods and drugs imported into the
United States have been carefully in
spected at ports of entry. In some
cases, consequently, the entire char
of products offered for entry has
been changed, and articles of a much
higher grade now come in. In the
past case goods of edible oils, wines
and liquors had marked on the out
side not only the number of bottles,
but the contents. These markings
were found to be largely incorrect.
But through the work of the DEPART
ment fraudulent or misbranded cases
are now seldom offered for entry.
Olive oils not true to name have be-
come rare in imports. No figs are
allowed to come in unless accompan-
led by the certificate of an American
consul that they are packed under
sanitary conditions. Much of the
cheese imported has been found to be
made from milk from which more or
less of the butter fat has been re-
moved. All such entries are now
branded as skim-milk cheese.
The new federal food law, as the
latest report of the secretary OF ag-
riculture states, has raised thesqual-
ity of milk furnished in some cit
les. The government has carried
forward several milk crusades, with