Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-18
FOR PURER FOODS
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Inc bureau of chemistry will fail OF
It's mission If it does not bring to the
people OF the United States q pHrer and
better FOOD supply. just the Depart
inent OF Agriculture would come short OF
It's opportunities if it failed to give them
more abundant food supply"
mus speaks DR.. Carl l.. Alsberg, who
succeeded DIR. Harvey W. Wiley as the
chler OF the bureau Of chemistry. He de-
| ciares that the man who aduterates ana
| msorands foods and drugs deserves all
the punishment that can be inflicted upon
him. ana that the work Of ferreting him
OUT ana visiting upon him the penalties
or the law will continue undated But
al the same time he realizes that there
are other kinds of food regulation with
Whicn the bureau can concern itself which
VIII do vastly more for the public health
IMAM the mere prohibition Of misbranding.
According to Dr. Alsberg, the worst
1000 that can reach the consumer is that
"hlch carries disease-producing germs,
and that is usually the kind that is han
dled ana eaten raw. Milk, oysters and
some OF the vegetables are the worst Of
lenders, and they are very frequently
IN Iact, usually-beyond the power of the
bureau OF chemistry. Food cannot be
reached by national law under the fed
=, Ssi1utioIi Until IL crosses q Stdtc
Inc. Then 1t gets into interstate COM
| inerce. and the bureau of chemistry can
control it. As rule. however. the bulk
OF loose foodstuffs is consumed within
| only the little fringe of territory con-
tguous to state lines that is affected
| principally by national food laws.
The remainder must be reached in
directly, and the bureau of chemistry has
| chosen two meth
Two Methods DDS of handling
IL nL4 it. One is co-opera-
health agencies, and the other nation
wide campaign of education. Construc-
tive cooperation with all health agencies
will take the form OF an attempt to Co
ordinate all these forces. and to induce
them to work in harmonious way TO-
ward a common end. To this end a meet
ing of all of the food and drug officials
of the country has been called to assem-
BILE in Washington in November. At this
meeting an effort will be made to frame
common policy which all of these agen-
cies can pursue, and under which they
can cooperate. Then the bureau OF
chemistry when it finds a condition With
in a state which it cannot reach, can ad-
wise the food and drug officials of that
state, and through them get the remedial
action desired. Likewise, when state
official rnds situation which he cannot
touch because it involves interstate COM
merce he will tip off the bureau OF chem
istry, and it can bring the offenders TO
book.
In carrying out the campaign OF educa-
ton the bureau of chemistry hopes to
place the knowledge it gathers In the
hands of every housewife in the country
in such way that she can apply it ~
her everyday life. For instance, the bu-
reau is determined TO eradicate and de-
stroy the popular impression that the
label Guaranteed Under the Pure Food
and Drugs Act means that the govern
ment guarantees the food Dr. AlsDerg
declares that the government is in no
sense the guarantor, and that the label
is put there by the manufacturer, not Tor
the purpose OF guaranteeing the product
to the consumer, but for the purpose OF
protecting the retailer from loss In case
| the article does not come up to repre-
sensations.
| The label Guaranteed under the Pure