The Washington herald., 1911-11-05
SUPPORTEDPURE FOODLAW
Scott, of Kansas, Takes Issue
pith Herald EDITORIAL

4 with that, was not consulted about IL.
and knew nothing OF IT until 1t recently
became a subject OF newspaper COM
ment.
The second, statement in The Herald
editorial to which 1 take exception Is
the following:
TN the appropriation bill for 1909, Chair
man Scott eliminated the following pro-
vision: To investigate the character Of
food preservatives, Sc, added to foods
to determine their relation to digestion
and to establish the principles which
should guide their use, and to publish
their results &c. This action brought to
sudden conclusion DR.. Wiley's expert
mental tests OF the effect upon the human
stomach Of sulphur dioxid, alum, borax,
&C."
To answer the last part Of this state
ment, first, let me say that DR.. Wiley's 8
experiments to test the effect upon the
human stomach Of certain preservatives
had been brought to close In 1907. It Is
obvious, therefore, that a change in the
law OF 1909 could not have brought them
to a sudden conclusion" But even II
they had been continuing, the elimina-
tion Of the language quoted would not
have interfered with the further prosecu-
ton Of the experiments. There is ample
authority, in my judgment, and I think
in the Judgment OF all who have looked
into the matter, IN the act OF 1852, and
vestigations as DR.. Wiley was conduct
ing, and It is not necessary to have this
authority reiterated in each annual ap-
preparation act.
The appropriation bill Of 1903 was re-
duced about one-third In voTume from the
bill Of the preceding year, in an effort
on the part Of the Committee on AgricuI-
eliminate Nd
dundant verbiage. Every paragraph, not
in the Chemistry Bureau only, but IN
every bureau, was gone over carefully,
and every word, sentence, and paragraph
which was believed to be in the nature OF
surplusage was stricken out. The great
est care was taken, however. not to
alter in any way the nature or scope
of the work any bureau was doing, the
Secretary Of Agriculture and the various
bureau chiefs being consulted at every
step and no change made which did not
meet with their approval It was in
carrying out this general plan for the
simplification and Qualification Of the bill
that the language quoted in The Herald
editorial was eliminated. 1t was not my
intention, nor the intention Of any other
member OF the committee, to deprive DR..
Wiley Of an atom of the authority he
had exercised under previous bills, and
do not believe that was done. am con-
lrmed in this belief by the fact that, al
though he has been before the commit
tee several times since the bill OF 1909
was enacted into law, DR.. Wiley has
never expressed dissatisfaction with the
new language or intimated that II hin
dered him from doing any work that he
ever had done or that he desired to do.
Permit me to say in conclusion that I
supported the pure food law with enthu-
siasm when 1t was before the House, that
have often referred to it publicly as one
OF the wisest and most wholesome acts
OF recent legislation, and that I have
contributed to the extent OF my oppor-
tunity to its rigid and effective enforce
ment. CHAS. F. SCOTT.
lola. KanH, Nov. !.