Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-23

cision of the lower court and ordered
the smelling company to obey the
law.
In 1918 the people again complained
that the injunction was being ignored
by the smelter. whereupon the au-
thorities and the company officials
agreed to leave h question to a
commission of experts.
An investigation vas conducted
which began in June. 1918. and ended
September, 1914.
AS a result of this investigation a
report was made TO the bureau OF
mines and published.
h commission of experts found
that the people were indeed being
harmed by the operation of the plant
prior to the Injunction. Their COM
plants had been justified.
h sulphurous acid which esca ped
from the refining smelter caused the
destruction of the vegetables and crop
plants OF the neighborhood.
So poisonous is the bleaching agent
used in the dried fruit industry tina
the commission found IT to be harm
full to man in the proportion OF S5
parts OF sulphurous acid to 1000, 900
parts of air.
1t was found that two parts of the
gas in 1000, 600 parts of air applied
for fou hours at one time or for ten
minutes a day a such an injurious
effect upon plant life that il actu-
ally decreased the yield of barley
studied during the investigation.
These facts apparently have not
been withheld from Dr.. NJ. E. Jana.
He declares:
Those interested are not welded to
the sulphur process. but it is realized
that up to date there has not been
offered a process which is practical
which can take the place of sulphur
ing
1T is thus seer that under existing
conditions the sulDhuring OF some
fruits is a necessity If the industry
is to be preserved.
Grapes intended for human con-
sumption should not be subjected to
sulphur fumes" he continues. Sue
cessful drying can be and has been
practised without the use Of sulphur.
In the case of the apricot and
peach the oxidation of the sulphurous
compounds to sulphuric "a deadly
poison) is slow and sometimes map
preciable, similarly with reference to
the apple and pear.
When we consider the grape in
this connection there is presented an
entirely different state Of affairs.
Samples of Thompson seedless
grapes and other small grapes have
been tested with the result that while
the content of sulphurous acid was
below the limit indicated by Food In
spection Decision No. rs, viz, less
than $50 miligrammes per kilo, the
sulphuric acid per kilo Appropriated
ten times as much.
Sulphured grapes are rarely washed
or soaked before cooking. They are
eaten raw or in cake or bread. In
either case there is ingested with the
raisin the injurious acid compounds.
The same is r as regards the
desiccated bleached potato"
After making these alarming state
ments DR.. Jaffa holds the housewife
responsible for the abuses to which
he refers.
ut Is true" he declares, that the
fruit ROVER tries to produce in his
output a high degree of color. If the
consumer did not demand intensely
yellow fruit there would be no sale
for it.
'If the u did not demand
yellow butter there would be no sale
for yellow color.
Fruit is colored by the grower so
as to get a higher price for his goods.
California is waiting, a%nxiously
waiting. for the food inspection de-
cision of the United States Depart