The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-01-26
sWEATEp ORANGES
Boston, Mass. Transcript, 11-20-11.)

tboston, MASS, transcript, 11-2O-'11.)
A dispatch from Los Angeles warns
the people of the East that their
Thanksgiving tables will this year be
without California oranges, owing to
the order of the bureau of food and
drug inspection that the ship
ment of artifcially ripened fruit will
be In violation Of the law. But the
loss will be slight, for much better
no oranges than oranges that by their
fair exteriors lure to the purchase of
fruit still green and bitter and that
we nave the word of the scientists for
are distinctly poisonous to the diges-
tive organs. Yet in spite of the dis
patch there Is the probability that
seemingly ripe oranges will await an
eager purchase, for there is nothing
In the law to prevent the California
shippers from sending East fruit in
the green state, and nothing to pre-
vent the dealers receiving them from
subJecting them to the sweating pro-
cess that gives them the golden ap-
pearance Of the ripe orange. The
states could here interpose their pure
food regulations, If any such applied,
but the national law can only oper-
ate In commerce between the states.
Back Of the ruling of the national
pure food bureau that within the def
milton Of adulterated food, as such
food Is mixed, colored, powdered,
coated or stained in manner where
by damage or inferiority is conceal
ed, are included oranges forced to an
appearance of ripeness while the SUI
gar and acid content is still that Of
green fruit, Is the agitation of the
whole subject by the Florida Citrus
Exchange, as the association of ship
pers of oranges, grapefruit, plaintain
and bananas Is called, which looks to
the national government to help save
the reputation Of the Florida fruit.
There Is gap in the orange market
between the supply from California
and from Florida, and grasping ship
pers have been in the habit, 1t is
charged, Of shipping green fruit or
fruit ardflcially colored by sweating,
to the serious damage Of the good
name Of Florida oranges and the
eventual falling off in the demand for
1t: for buyers of bitter oranges sold
under the name of Floridas are quite
likely to associate bitterness forever
more with the brand and to leave it
alone. To protect its reputation Flor
ida enacted law prohibiting the ex-
portation of unripe fruit, and to make
the law more effective the assistance
of the Federal government has been
invoked, in putting artifciaIly ripened
oranges under the adulterated food
ban.
There may be some question as to
what extent the government is justi-
fed in interfering with private bust
ness to protect the public welfare,
but II 1t is justified, as intelligent
public opinion is agreed, in helping
to save the public fro mmaking the
mistake OF buying doctored canned
goods and eggs too old to be fit for
use, for instance, then II is equally
justified In trying to keep out Of the
market oranges that while really. I'M
At for food masquerade as fit There
is no need to argue that the people
ought to be allowed to buy green fruit |
IL they want to. They don't want 10, /
and IL they knew 1t was green they
wouldn't buy It. Not being experts |
enough to know when It is process
ed processed oranges may fairly /
enough be kept out Of the market as
a health precaution.