Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-03

~
wv put too much water in a
tomato can, and what can
vo,, do with him? What difference does
1t make about the volume or biscuit
How do YOU tell when catsup, is good
and when it isn't, and what do you
do about it? And who is it starts all
these questions. any way!
The person who wanted to know
walked about through the various build
ings which house the Department OF
Agriculture and propounded the ques-
tions. Numerous clerks and secretaries
RESPONDED with looks of some surprise.
OF course, they dealt with these things
as matters of routine, but what would
make a person want TO know Let or
things like that ali at once? 1t ap-
peared that there were not so many
people athirst for information-and yet
they should be.
Day in and day out there are $4,000
people at work in the Department. OF
Agriculture solving problems that nave
an important bearing upon the allah
sorbing question OF living, yet many
People may spend their money Tor
what they like: but in return they must
get what they think they're getting.
Also, they must not be sold anything
that is detrimental TO their health. The
government has said il, and. having
said ii. makes a business of seeing that
| its remarks are needed.
Seeing that the questioner really
wanted to know, a kindly gentleman
pointed out the way to DIR. Howard,
chief of the microchemical laboratory.
There were bottles OF catsup and jars
g rl1af
looked like dried apples. There were
test tubes and TASKS and microscopes
and young ladies in white aprons.
In response TO the first two questions
Dr. Howard laughed. He said there
seemed 10 have been Misunderstanding.
| 4 misunderstanding, Was it possible that
| the government and the manufacturers
sometimes misunderstood each other? Or
was il possible that the manufacturers
| were capable of an honest misunderstanding
ing? Who would suppose that a class OF
people as much maligned as the manu-
facturers have been belonged to
| the great army OF the misunderstood!
And yet IL appears that there are many
manufacturers who make honest mis-
takes and who are quit willing to COM
| ply with the laws.
There was certain man who made
pepper. He mixed his pepper with GER
| tain amount OF cornmeal. His product
/ he was selling an adulterated article and
l was invig ell before the board Of food
/ and drugs inspection for n hearing. He
| appeared before the board and declared
/ that he was not violating the law. The
| board said he was. because he was selling
/ an adulterated article. The man said
| he knew he was selling an adulterated
| article. but that he was selling it as
/ an adulterated article and that there
was nothing injurious in IL, and there
i fore he was within the law.
| He sold his product not as pepper. but
| as pepper compound. The board held that
/ il must be sold as a compound OF pepper
| and cornmeal. The manufacturer held &c
/ his view and the members OF the board
i held 10 theirs. so the matter went to the
! courts for decision. The court decided
| in accordance with the opinion of the
| board, SO the manufacturer must, of ne
| cessity, state TO all the world exactly Of
/ what his compound consisted.
The government employs inspectors
| who travel over all the country. Al
! any time that they have reason to sus-
| send IL in to be examined. II the SAM
| pie is found to be not up to specifica-
| tions. the findings are placed in the
| hands of the chief of the bureau, who
places IL before the board of food and
/ drug inspection. The board notifies the
/ manufacturer that his product has
| been found wanting. and summons him
4 before the board for hearing.
\ 4
! : y
/ If he comes the matter may be ar
/ ranged right there. In one case 9
/ manufacturer came before the board
and declared that there was some mis-
take somewhere. He said that he didn't
| manufacture goods that were deleteri-
Gus to health, and that there was some
! mistake. He asked that other sample:
be examined. and insisted upon it sc
sturdily that the board consented. MI
merous other samples taken at large