Omaha daily bee., 1911-11-24
new ETHICS IN FOOD TRADE
DR.. Wiley Tells of Effect of Law
Against Adulteration.
CORRUPT MEN STAND TOGETHER
StRtute Was Enacted Only After
Determined Fight Lasting
Quarter of n Gem
turv
tury.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Nov. 23.-"The
effects OF the pure food and drugs act
have been most salutary," declared DIT.
Harvey w. Wiley. chief chemist OF the
Department of Agriculture, principal ad-
vocate of that measure in an address be-
fore the American --cademy Of Political
and Social Science here tonight.
mot only has it inspired a new code
of ethics in the trade OF pure foods"
continued DIR. Wiley, but it has made
1t possible for honest dealers to conduct
a business without the ruinous compeu-
tion Of adulterators and debasers."
The theme of DIR. wiley's address was
the pure food and drugs act which he
strived for many years to have enacted
by congress. He told of how the special
interests got together and blocked the
enactment OF the bill, which sometimes
passed one house of congress only to be
killed in the other. Friends OF the legis-
lation. he declared had waited for the
education OF public opinion which would
emphasize so strongly the necessity for
its passage that even its opponents could
no longer obstruct.
This great fight" he said, went
on for more than quarter OF century
before the passage OF the act OF june
30, 1906"
Effects Far-ReachinE.
DR.. Wiley eptonized the result that the
pure food and drugs act has had on the
business world. The unethical spirit OF
commerce in foods and d. ugs. he asserted,
had been wholly reformed and the
% -,fR o.
consumption had been immensely Inn
proved.
''These effects have extended not only
to foods and drugs" he averred. but
to corr elated business interests and now
the people are crying for enactment OF
pure food laws for all forms OF mer-
chandise. The hope is not idle that ere
many years all forms of business will
be controlled by the ethical spirit which
animates the food and drugs act:"
DR.. Wiley opened his address with the
assertion that the primary cause of the
pure food law was the cupidity of com
merce.
THE keen competition OF trade" he
said. led men to debase the wares which
they hoped TO sell at the price Of the
genuine article. II they did not debase
the genuine article they made an imita-
tion OF It, which they offered under the
name Of the genuine article. II they
did neither they misrepresented the quail
ities OF the article, ascribing TO il virtues
of all kinds which it did not possess.
CoErupt Men stand Together.
''The fight for pure food was a fight
against the communism OF greed, All
the interests stood together. They felt
that II one was sacrificed all might 80,
hence every movement which was made
TO correct this condition of affairs by
legislation was met with the united and
thoroughly controlled lobby representing
the interests OF every description which
were thriving on lne sale of adulterated
and misbranded foods and drugs. These
interests did not fight IN the open ex-
cept on rare occasions. They tried to
conceal their identity and their purpose
and usually appeared as friends OF pure
food and drug legislation and thus urged
certain amendments or verbiage, which,
lif adopted. would have let out the Of
tenders one and all.
III they could not succeed in this they
brought substitute bills with show of
honesty and yet full of flaws favorable
to corrupt practices. They never for a
moment ceased their active opposition,
and to the legislator who did not look
under the surface their arguments seemed
somewhat plausible and were for many
years effective"
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