The Detroit times., 1915-11-12

cials, and food interests! Awake
and sird on your armors and train
yourselves for eternal vigilance. The
clouds are gathering and trade
nights are on. The reactionAry In
terests are thirsting to see q return
to the conditions that exised prior
to the passage and enforcement Of
the National Food Law. The pure
food interests may slumber and lose
beat on watch. but the reactionary
interests, never. Thus must we pre-
pare ourselves for . tight In order
not to lose what We have gained.
The food law IL q good law the
way II stands and while II 10 largely
. labelling law, II Is being enforced
by our ofiicials together with the aid
of the food industry itself to protect
the people. Any amendment to this
Important law should be offered by
true friends to the cause and not by
the reactionaries who would set
back the clock of modernism. II 10
up to the friends Of pure food and
not Its enemies to guard against any
weakening of the law. Make II your
duty. American citizen. to study the
law as II now stands and make up
your mind as to needed amendments
to the law. Under our present en-
forcement Of the food law and OF
our various state laws by our able
food officials. together with the Aid
Of the great legitimate food industry
we are being protected against glar-
ing food frauds. But signs show
that we are about TO fight the great
fight all over again.
All over the country we see evil
dences OF the renewed struggle; in
dications are that Il will be more
bitterly fought than the former great
contest which extended over q
period OF 20 years and culminaed In
the enactment of the National Food
Law.
The opposing sides are known In
the trade as the "Legitimates." and
the "Reactionaries." The former
are the manufacturers OF pure foods
who would force all other manufac-
turers 10 observe the same strict
regulation that govern their meth
DDS 30 as TO do away with The unfair
competition. The "Reactionaries"
are the makers OF adulterated foods
who are trying 10 break down all
the food regulations, bring about q
return 10 conditions that existed be-
fore the National Food Law was
enacted and the government stepped
In to call halt on the wholesale
pollution OF the oountry's food sup
ply. The present conflict Is much
like the former. II hinges mainly on
the employment OF chemical preserv-
atives and colorings, and the use Of
ethereal navors. But there are
many new bones OF contention. as
for instance egg albumen In baking
powders. and several new kinds OF
chemical adultcrants.
The consuming public. which II
most vitality concerned, Ii not being
called into the conflict as formerly.
the present struggle being mainly
between the great manufacturing in
terests. Therefore. the people are
largely In the dark as to the facts
and are liable to be made innocent
victims OF tho varying fortunes OF
the war unless they are more on the
alert.
With which side will Won ally
yourself? There are certain amend
ments. which. fathered and put
through by pure food patriots would
make the task of protecting our
food supply easier.
There are also. an experience
teaches us. jokers in all food legisla-
ton. Cunning attempts to weaken
the law may succeed in the forth.
coming legislation as they have sue
ceeded In the past Therefore the
watchword is: Awake and man the
watch towers. all friends Of pure
food" Do not let the enemy In the
shape OF the reactionary interests
steal a march on you.
Give careful study to the follow
ing questions OF probable amend.
ments to the food law and having
decided In your own mind what you
desire to zee carried through. deter
mine 10 play no mean part In seeing
that these amendments are not de-
feated.
Shall the addition Of poisons an
deleterious matter to foods be abso-
lutely prohibited?
4 Shall provisions be made for ex-
tensive sanitary inspection Of foods
which enter into interstate COM
inerce, extending the definition of
adulteration to include foods manu-
featured. prepared. stored or trans
ported under rnsanitary condt
tons?
Should an amendment be made
embodying proper legal standards?
Should IN amendment be made
preventing false advertisement 40 to
the quality OF foods or the thera-
peutic effect of medicines In news
papers or pamphlets a. we'll a. on
the label?
Should an amendment be made 90
% to require that compounds. imita-
lions and blends be plainly labeled
TO show their ingredients?