New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-14
Some of His Many Tricks
Are Here Exposed for
the Benefit of His In
tended Victims.

SHERE was a Frenchman once who.
stranded In London, so the story
u runs. ground a piece OF common
brick TO powder, wrapped II in a dainty bit
Of colored paper and labelled 1t Poison
for Fleas." Then he sailed forth from
street to street. crying his wares. AT last
he found housewife who took the entire
10, off his hands for FIVE crowns. Straight
way he went into business on larger scale
and had soon scattered his only genuine
poudare for de flea" throughout the whoie
of London town.
One day, however, he was passing oe-
meath the window Of his first victim, when,
hearing the shrill call Of the angry woman
above, he stopped and looked up In dlsmay'
..Hey. there" said she. you MONSIEUR Powder
Escape nv clutches now. sir, II you can.
iii let you dirty. thieving Frenchmen know
That decent people won't be cheated so
Then spoke monsieur. and heaved a sanity sign'
With humble attitude and fearful eve:
"Ah, madsmel ST vous plat. ATTENDED vous-
Nv ' poudsre gram MAGNITUDE, Why abuse him ?
Ahal / show you how to use him
First, YOU must wait until YOU catch DE nea'
Den ticket he on de petite rib. you see.
And when re lauEh--aha!-he ope his troat, -,
Den poke dc poudare down! Begar! he ohoKe'
For iust such men as ne. though their
methods Of fleeing the public are by no
means as raw. the Congress OF the United
States has recently been passing restrain
ing laws that will eventually drive them
out OF business. Just as the hapless
Frenchman labelled his crushed brick
Poison for de Flea" so unscrupuous
manufacturers OF insecticides and fungi
cides to-day have been foisting upon the
housewife and fruit grower and the cattle
man preparations labelled as sure cure
and certain death" for devastating insects.
But Congress has stepped TO the front
and considered the question OF bugs and
their eradication In oficial session. And,
after due consideration. II has passed
law that compels all makers of insecticides
10 label their wares and make no prob
lematical claims Of their efficacy. In ad-
tition is now appointed committee of
government experts TO help enforce that
law by. fguratively, separating the sheep
from the goats in the herd of "bug medi-
cines." And 10 make the rescue work even
more thorough regarding cattle, sections
Of the country in which infected stock pre-
dominates are rigidly quarantined until
the animals are cured.
Millions of dollars are being spent each
year by people all over the United States
for various connections with which to rid
their possessions OF insects and fungous
growths Sometimes the desired results are
obtained, but frequently me outlay OF
money and labor is rewarded only by fall
ure From the housewife buying Decent
package OF sure death for reaches and
water bugs to the ranchman buying
preparations for Kidding his huge herd or
cattle Of the Texas fever tick can be traced
a long line Of preparations warranted to XIII
any and every insect or fungous growth.
Some Of them do. but many do not.
The act. passed in 1910. resulted in the
appointment by Secretary Wilson Of the
Department of Agriculture OF the 1nsecti-
eide and Fungicide Board. whose work
along these lines is equivalent TO that OF
the pure food board in connection with
foods and drugs. The board was appointed
during the latter part OF December, and
consists Of DR.. NJ. Dorset, bureau OF animal
industry, chairman DR.. A. l. Quaintance,
bureau OF entomology; Dr. j. X. Haywood,
bureau OF chemistry; DR.. NJ. B. Waite, bu-
reau OF plant industry. and DR.. A. w.
Smith executive officer.
This board, as in the case OF the Pure
Food and Drug Board. will have 1urisdlc-
ton over such cases only as are interstate
jn scope or come within territory or the