The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-01-26
BAKING POWDER SHIPPED IN.
Wallis Has Backing Of Federal Gov
eminent In Fight on Mail Orders.

Arsenic baking powder, shipped into
Idaho by Chicago mail order house,
will be the basis of suit to be brought
by the government in the federal
courts at once against the company
James H. Wallis, state food, dairy and
sanitary inspector, is also United
States pure food inspector and has
been ordered to Washington to consult
with DR.. Wiley, chief of the bureau
of chemistry, and Attorney General
Wickersham about the case. He will
also testify in the federal court when
the case goes to trial. Under his in
structions, he will leave Boise the first
week in next month, and will be away
from the state for some time.
The action is the result of a seiZ-
ure which Mr.. Wallis made at Bull,
Idaho, under his authority as federal
| inspector. Sealing the package ship
ped from the mail order house with
the federal seal, he took three samples,
also under the government seal, to
Claude Mason, the state chemist. In
the government work, Mr.. Mason is
designated the collaborating chem
| ist." Every article was put through a
rigid examination by the expert The
| last few days have brought orders for
the second sample which was subject
ed to analysis by the government ex-
perts at Washington as a 'check test"
This experiment was followed by the
announcement that the government
had found arsenic in the sample sent
and that the case would be pushed to
the limit through the federal courts.
The bureau of chemistry has not yet
had the chance to test up any of the
other articles in the shipment which
were condemned, but when it does get
the opportunity, the inspector conf
IDENTIFY believes that other cases will
follow.
Mr.. Wallis Investigations have re-
vealed shipments from the eastern
mail order houses into all parts of the
state. He usually watches for these
shipments and manages to be around
when the goods are received at the ex-
press office He Immediately seizes
the. package and takes the three sam
pies required, submitting them to the
chemist to be tested in the state labor
atory. He declares that he has found
poisons in so many of the brands of
groceries that have been brought into
this state that he wonders at the way
some of the people buy these things
and turn down their local dealers.
The state inspector doesn't approve
of most of the mail order houses that
do business in this state. He thinks
that their goods are adulterated to
such an extent that it ought to be pro-
hibited from entry. This can only be
done, however, where the goods are
proved to contain these poisons, the
federal acts providing a severe penal
ty for the company which ships harm
full products from one state into an
other.
Mr.. Wallis complains that it is ex.
ceedingly hard to catch some of the
mail order houses because one has tt
, be on the ground when the articles are
/ received at the express company's of.
fee. AS there is no loud noise made
when the shipment is received, it il
sometimes difficult to put ones fin
gers on the food when it arrives, HI
says. The office has been working OF
, the trail of the mail order concerns S,
enthusiastically that several of tn
agents who have been taking orders il
: the state have left their work, declar
ing that they would have nothing to d.
with a concern that handled harmful
!, products, the inspectors say.-States
man.