The Washington times., 1911-08-03
REMSEN BOARD
IN INTEREST Of
MANUF FACTURER
Secretary Wilson's Remark.
able Statement Produced
H. At Hearing.
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page)
OF Curtis Brothers, catsup makers >
answered DR.. Remsen. He said my
testimony was necessary because oul
report on benzoate of soda was one oi
the issues at stake. 1t was impossible
to get the report of the referee board
into the court record owing to some le.
gal technicality, so our testimony was
desired.
Il did not care to appear in the In
diana case, but talked with Secretar ~
Wilson and he advised me to testify,
so l did,
ness for the State or Indiana or the
benzoate of soda people?' asked Chair
man Moss, who has taken q special
Interest in the Indiana fight
Merely Stated the Facts"
Neither" said the doctor. Il mere
ly stated the facts as to our findings
in benzoate of soda. You understand.
did not personally supervise the ben
zoate Of soda experiments. They were
made by Drs. Long, Herter, and Chit
tenden and their assistants"
The Indiana benzoare of soda fight
Is still pending in the courts, and grows
out of the efforts Of Indiana health au-
Of soda as a food preservative.
The benZoate of SODA users in the
light stressed the fact that the Rem
sen referee board has declared that
the ,preservative is harmless. thus re-
versing DR.. Harvey W. Wiley, the Gov
ernment's pure food expert.
DR.. Remsen said that both DR.. Long
and DR.. Chittenden had also testified
in the Indiana controversy.
did you testify as a chemist or
the nr6SidnOt Of tho rafaraa boa ~
asked Chairman Moss.
Certainly not as a chemist. l ap-
peared as president of the board"
You knew your testimony would be
unfavorable to the State of Indiana"
That might have entered my mind "
answered DR.. Remsen. But l had no
feeling in the matter either for Indi-
ana or Curtis Brothers"
Regarded 1t As Duty.
You saw no improperly, as an en-
ploye Of the Federal Government, in
taking a part in this Indiana fight.
where the health officers of a State
were trying to prevent the use of benz
oate of soda?' asked Mr.. Moss.
No. / regarded it somewhat as a
duty, since the report of the board was
questioned"
What did Secretary Wilson say to
you in advising you to give testt-
mony?"
The Secretary said that the board
had made a report, that 1t had now
been CALLED into question, and that if
we were called upon to defend II it
seemed proper to answer" explained
DR.. Remsen.
Department Paid Expenses.
You say you gave a deposition. but
that Drs. Chittenden and Long went to
Indianapolis to testify. Who paid their
expenses?" asked Mr.. Moss
The Department Of Agriculture,
believe admitted DR.. RemSen. Ger
tainly not Curtis Bros"
The Federal Government. then, paid
the expense of sending these witnesses
10 testify in the Indiana case?'
Yes" answered the doctor.
Chairman Moss asked DR.. Remsen If
he did not think that the board had
rather broadened its scope by taking
any part in the Indiana fight.
as expert chemists, FOR the GoYernmentt.
reporting only to The Secretary Of Ag1-
culture" observed Mr.. Moss. Yet
three members of the board appear
to have testified In the Indiana con-
troversy and YOU have previously stated
that you and DR.. Long also addressed a
food and dairy convention in Denver.
1t occurs TO me that this is rather go
ing beyond the scope Of your work.
Mere you trying to influence the In
diana courts?"
DR.. Remsen said that ne had never
thought of influencing the courts or
any one else.
Sees Influence" At Work.
Two have approached every question
with judicial minds" he said. I'VE
have found the facts as we saw them.
The members of the referee board ac-
cepted their responsibilities with some
reluctance. We were all connected with
large universities. and had not at
tempted any work Of this kind before.
From the beginning almost We have
been subjected to criticism. There has
been some influence at work-l don't
know what II is-tO undermine ana dis.
credit the referee board. 1t is reflected
In the newspapers.
"This constant criticism was new to
US. We had never had anything OF the
sort before; we We're not used TO IL
The members of the board held sympa-
thy meetings, but they didn't comfort
us much. We talked of quitting, but
there's a little of the bulldog, the fight
n every man and that came TO the
mont We shut our jaws tight and said
we would stick II the Secretary of Agri-
culture wanted US to continue our work.
Every member of the board would be
glad to be relieved of the work;
Personally, I would feel rather relieved
II the board should be declared illegal;
You might think from all the unkind
things said about us that we were
heading straight for the penitentiary,
that we were criminals. Our friends
come up and look at US with long races.
Skin Getting Thicker Now.
MY skin is getting a little thicker
now, and I've Iearnd to bear the criu-
cism very well, but 1t came hard.
The doctor, who spoke throughout in
utmost good humor, was asked II he
thought the Remsen board was legally
created. DR.. Remsen, eminent chemist
that he is, said he didn't know thlns
case. he explained that he understood
that II got into court by mandamus
or some sort Of legal step. / don't un-
derstand those things"
But you did understand that 1t was
the State Of Indiana against benzoate
Of soda users?" asked Mr.. Moss.
Yes: l got that through my head af-
ter a time" said DR.. Remesn.
Bank Defauiter Ends