The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-03-21

One of the results of the normal
school work is that Westfeld has
reputation to sustain. The second re-
suit is that young and enthusiastic
teachers fresh from such chemical ex-
periments, have gone into towns and
villages of Massachusetts with their
eyes open and their test tubes in their
hands. The testing of food is not
necessarily or usually an affair need
ing elaborate paraphernalia and ex-
pensive apparatus, nor is it beyond the
chemistry courses carried on by high
and normal schools. Possibly the
forces of adulteration may outgrow
present equipment, and in somes in
stances have done so; but just at pres
ent schools can analyze most suspi-
cious samples with their small 1abora-
tory outfits.
Is CongeniaI Task.
1t is also a congenial feminine task
witness the normal-schoo1 girls who
did not care a brass farth1ng for
chemistry as an academic pursuit but
were at once alive to it as house
keeping extension course. And so,
it is again demonstrated that not ev-
en- education and the prospect of a
wage earning life can root out of wo-
| man her everlasting interest in that
! home which is likely to belong to
a third result of Westf1eld's classes
| interest has been awakened through
out the country, and even beyond the
country in its efforts.
One of its by-products has been its
| disputed white LISTS which are Ii
able, of course, being constructive1y
managed, to the charge of maintain
ing an advertising scheme. 1t is diff
] f1cuft to think of a fairer way, how
ever; to keep the public Informed,
since it is certainly as reasonable to
accredit those who have maintained
! the law as to discredit those who have
/ broken it. Black listing also brings
about q great deal of unjust demerit-
| ing; for the technicalities of the law
governing adulteration are intricate
| and uninte1ligible to the man in the
street and the woman in the kitchen.
| Standards for cocoa vary, for instance
as to whether it is Dutch or other
wise, and to the uninittated this filming
of a firm for not conforming to the
| law in ''otherwise'' cOcoas seems like q
| discredit to the firm.
The Montclair investigation is de-
signed to give every one a chance to
gain a personal knowledge of the
facts as shown by scientific tests. Evq
cry interest in the city has apparently
shown readiness to help. this pro-
ject along; even the larger grocery
stores have opened their doors to the
demonstration, who will meet the pub
lie there, test out anything brought
|
consumer. The high and normal
schools are helping by cooperation in
these public food tests, and by demon
stration through their own laborator-
les for the benefit of the pupils. 1t
has even been thought possible to
give ocular demonstration to the wo-
men of the Italian quarter concerning
the composition of foods their chill
dren buy and eat. Even those who
cannot understand English may un-
derstand that a candy coating which
can dye cloth or varnish a board OF
coat knife blade with copper is not
wholly digestib1e or wholesome food
for the human system.
It is hoped to extend the knowledge
of these adUlteration evils. AS the
Westfie1d and other tests have proved
there is no financial basis on which
to rest in purchasing goods. Floor.
varnish peanuts may be bought fol
ten cents a pound or for sixty; anC
aniIine-dyed bon-bons come as high al
dollar and a quarter a pound. The
heart depressing acetanilin may be a
chaarfu1ly munched between acts il