New-York tribune., 1911-11-29
DEMAND PURE FOODS
People Back of Movement for
Reform Which Began in 1848.
DR.. WILEY DESCRIBES WORK
Federal, State and Municipal
Officials Cooperate in En-
forcing New Laws.

Woman. sociology tells US, is the pur-
veyor OF the home spending from what
ever she can get 10 the whole of the family
income less carfare and tobacco money TO
the unit whose earnings are paid in hard
cash She has fine sense of the 3sthetlc'
Heaven bless her, hut her knowledge OF
the chemistry of the kitchen and of the
physiology OF the farm, Joint bases on
which rests the entire domestic economy /
hygiene included. is not profound II isn't
her fault. it's just the way she has been
brought UP. If Adam had trained her |
properly she wouldn't have been fascinated !
bv that lovely. sun kissed spheroid the
serpent pointed out to her-not at all
grapefruits. pears. oranges, berries, hot |
house grapes. peaches and few other
horticultural trines would have contented
her OF the variety Of that apple whether
il was a Northern Spy. Snow apple a
Baldwin or one Of those monstrOus roseate /
fruits Of the Northwest history has left
no record But It may be taken for granted
that this pippin wasn't russet. Her taste
I'm color leads her 20 buy olives which have
been neatly dyed; French peas greener than
ever came from the garden; canned fruits
either bleached or dyed candy with enough
artificial coloring matter in IT 10 dis;emper
wall
Seventy years ago it was quite different.
She canned her own fruit, made her own
candy. cured her own meat and made her
own butter. II she didn't. she bought
such articles fresh from the hands Of
those who did. There weren't any cold
storage plants. because artificial refrigera-
tion hadn't been invented. There was no
need TO worry about the use Of coal tar
colors. for they hadn't been invented.
There was no discussion about boracic
acid and benzoate Of soda, because neither
substance was used to prevent decay.
There were no pure food laws, there was
no Bureau Of Chemistry in the Depart
ment of Agriculture. not even a DR.. II. w.
Wiley. because they weren't needed. Now
We have changed all that, and with rea-
SON.
The older Psychologists used 10 teach that
in seven years man renewed every particle
of matter in his body However this may
be- it is certain that man is precisely the
product of what he eats and drinks-and
so is woman. Nothing can be more inn
portant therefore than TO safeguard the
purity and the wholesomeness Of whatever
may be taken into the body, whether it be
food or drink or drug.
The New-York Tribune was still an in
FAINT. as newspapers 90. when the people
were aroused to the necessity Of depCuzing
their servants I'm Office to protect them
against unscrupulous manufacturers and
dealers In drugs.
Dr.. Wiley on Legislation.
But let Dr. Wiley tell what they did.
"The food and drugs act introduces for the
first time into this country national con-
in foods and drugs. The importation of
foreign drugs is controlled at the ports of
entry under an existing law which was first
enacted in 1S4S." he said. This law not
having been specifically repealed, / believe,
under the ordinary construction, remains
I'm fun force except I'm points in which its
provisions are in conflict with those of the
new inspection law. Just how far the re-
Quirements OF the new inspection law must
be read into the old law is a matter Of
purely legal character on which l have no
opinion
1T is evident therefore that the applica-
tion of the act, in so far as drugs are con-
cerned, will be practically to the control of
domestic commerce.
The extension Of government supervision
10 food inspection. however, came grad
ually. When it had been ascertained that
impure milk was a fertile source Of dis
case the first steps were taken. The health
departments of the larger municipalities
throughout the land undertook to regulate
under the most drastic laws the sale Of
this important food product, destroying
whatever was deemed injurious to health.
In the current year DR.. Lederle. Health
Commissioner Of New York, showed pride
I'm a further reduction of infant mortality
due to rigid measures Of inspection.
While municipal health officials were
everywhere clamoring for an extension Of
their powers that the lives of the people
might be further safeguarded, the neces-
slty Of federal legislation became apparent
The United States Department Of Agri-
culture. through the development Of spe-
cialists in several Of its bureaus, had made
a special study Of food and drink, but it
could act only in an advisory capacity
Results were purely academic. Then came
q general law in 1903 for the inspection OF
imported food articles. which was super
seeded by one Of a much broader character.
What the Pure Food Law Is.
The food and drugs act OF June 30. 1906,
according TO Dr. W. d. Bigelow, chief Of
the division Of foods and assistant chief Of
the Bureau of Chemistry, commonly
called the pure food law, forbds the i'm
portaton into the United States, the ex-
portation from the United states, the IN
PRODUCTION into interstate commerce and
the manufacture and sale in the District
of Columbia and the territories Of mis-
branded and adulterated food and drugs
THE law is administered under the d.
rectIon OF the Secretary Of Agriculture
and provides that the Secretary OF the
Treasury. the Secretary OF Agriculture and
the Secretary OF Commerce and Labor
shall make unifom rules and regulations
for carrying out IT'S provisions. Such regu-
lations have been made and are printed.
together with the act. for distribution by
the Department Of Agriculture. The opin-
ion OF the department regarding various
features Of the law is expressed in food
inspection decisions published from time
10 time from the Office Of the Secretary.
The Working Organization.
THE organization charged with the en-
forcement Of the law includes: % In
spectors who procure samples for analy-
sis and information regarding the manu-
facture and sale Of food and drugs; (2)
chemists and clerks. in the laboratories
Of the Bureau Of Chemistry in Washing
ton and in the branch laboratories in
other cities, Of which sixteen are now In
operation and three are being installed;
90 the Board OF Food and Drug Inspec-
tion whose duties are 10 consider all
questions arising in the enforcement Of