Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-28

The extraordinary incidents which
developed in quick succession following
the disclosure that the butchers of
r. were all using sodium sui
phitc throw so much light upon the
difficulties in the way of food reform
that they are outlined here in the hope
that public enlightenment will lead to
the discouragcment of an abuse which
has spread from coast to coast.
When the New York press pub
lished the facts concerning the dis
covery of preservaline in all the
butcher shops of RI the mer-
chants, real estate owners, and physi-
clans of the town held a meeting.
At this meeting 1t was pointed out
that unless the alarming effects of
the disclosure were promptly neutral
ICED people with families would not
move to the town, property owners
would suffer, and the general effect
upon the prosperity of the community
would be of damaging nature.
Immediately the newspapers of
R--- carrying the advertising of
the merchants who were exposed in
their meat-drugging practices began
the publication of a number of state
ments in which they ridiculed the
exposure.
They all quoted R. B. Fitz-Ran-
dolph, chief of the division of food
and drugs, New Jersey State Board
of Health, as saying that the use OF
sodium sulphite in meat products was
legal in the State.
They also declared that the butch
ers should be encouraged to continue
in the use of sulphites, quoting R
physicians to that effect
The postmaster and president of the
board of health, who had assisted in
the exposure, contributed to the gen.
eral confusion by sending a distorted
statement to the authorities at Tren-
ton.
In this statement he denied that he
had taken part in the investigation
and had no personal knowledge of the
results of the investigation which had
resulted in such an embarrassing
manner to him and his political
| friends.
When I visited the postmaster he
would not talk without a stenog-
rapher to make a record of what was
said.
making notes and read the following
question:
when you telephoned to eight OIL
ten places looking for Inspector T
| to give us assistance in exposing the
use of sulphites in R, it was done
in this room and nobody was here but
yourself and my squad. Yet you say
! lHdI yOu nave tlIee dliQdNlIS OIL eye
witnesses of your refusal to assist me
in any manner. Is this true?"
You have a strange way of an.
swering your own questions and
have no reply to make
VERY well, we will abandon this
note making and rely on our honor
as men. Did you make a special and
painstaking effort to locate Inspector
T for US at this very telephone q
"I did not"
"You lie."
He sprang to his feet, crying Help!
Police! Riot" Almost instantly
seven postoff1ce clerks appeared al
the door. I and my companion were
seized. A policeman appeared.
Il charge this man with provokine
a riot" said the postmaster and presi.
dent of the board of health.
1T have ordered him out of here
but he will not co.
I was taken to a cell in the R
jail. but the police. after an awkward
/ delay, refused to lock me up, saying
I that the postmaster had pressed nc
charge against me. I was permitted
to depart.
The following statements issued al
once by the physicians of R., to.
gether with the foregoing account oil
what actually happened, reveal the