The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-06-06
TELL WHY HOUSES "pEEL Off"
State Inspector Scott Gets Warrants in
KenosRa and Says that Condition Of
Houses is Due to Sale of Oil Below
Standard Demanded by the State.

N. f. Scott of the state pure food
bureau, has been at work in Kenosha
for the past week and the state is now-
extending it's activities along new
lines and Inspector Scott has been
making an investigation as to the kind
of paints and oils sold in the city and
county. AS a result of his investiga-
tions J. M. Pitts was arrested on Tues
day afternoon charged with selling oil
below the standard demanded by the
state law. Pitts appeared before
Judge Randall and make frank state
ment that the oil which he was al
legged to have sold had been purchased
from reputable dealers under a guar
antee that it was .'pure oil' and the
hearing Of the case was continued I'M
til next Wednesday. No other war
rants have as yet been issued, but it
is declared that similar violations of
the law will be brought to light later.
The arrest on Tuesday was in the nat
ure of "a test case Inspector Scott
claimed that he had made a trip over
Kenosha and had found many houses
from which the paint was peeling off
He declared that this was due almost
entirely to the fact that inferior oils
had been used in the printing coat.
81 found that a lot of this inferior
oil had been marketed in Kenosha, Y
said Inspector Scott. We are hot on
the trail of several companies who are
marketing this grade of oils in Wis
consin and for the most part the deal
ers are ignorant Of what they are buy
ing. The state law in this regard is
very strict and it provides that Hnseed
oil shall be Of a certain test. Several
companies are now flooding Wisconsin
with circulars in an effort to sell this
inferior oil and we expect to have
thousands of complaints of houses
peeling off. Kenosha is one Of the
worst cities in the state in this regard
and we are determined to protect the
people by putting an end to the sale
of these oils. The oils tested showed
the presence of one of the by products
of kerosene and this if given to ami
mails and linseed Oil is used as a rene
dy for horses and for cattle would
prove fatal to them. There is no way
for us to put a stop to the sale of this
inferior product in the state unless We
arrested the retail dealers and let
them get a rap at the wholesale mer-
chants. This oil is unfit to be used
in the painting of any house and peo-
pie who have had experience with it
will find that it will be necessary to
have it burned off the houses with
torches before any kind Of pigmet will
stick to the siding Lots of cities in
the state are having similar troubles,
but my rambles about Kenosha reveal
ed the fact that there has been an I'M
usually large number of violations Of
the law Mere. We have secured sam
piles Of oil from many places in the
4 city and all Of it is being tested
There is no doubt as to the right Of
the state to regulate the sales of this
kind of oils and we have no fear of q
test of the law in the courts.
This is the first time that the state
has shown an interest in the painting
fof houses in Kenosha and the action
is regarded by many as little I'M
usual. It is declared, however, that
the investigation will be Of great
value to people interested in painting
houses. The difference between the
cost Of the inferior oil and oil meeting
the state standard is very small.