The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-14
Orders Against 129 Establish
ments Issued Today.
State Board of Health in Dras-
tic Rule Locally.
MAY RESULT IN PROSECUTION
Average Here 1875 Poor
Against States 2.4O.
"Dirty Floors, Dirty Walls, Dir
ty Boxes" Says COngdOn.

Orders against 129 Topeka grocery
stores. meat markets. confectionery
stores. drug stores and restaurants
were issued today by L. A. Congdon in
the pure food department of the state
board of health. CongdOn declared
today that depIorable conditions exist
in Topeka stores and restaurants and
bases his indictment of Topeka stores
on recent inspections of 36s shops and
stores in this city.
That the Congdon order may result
in prosecution of a number of restau-
rant and store Keepers was indicated
today when the food inspector dis
cussed local conditions Showing of
poor conditions in Topeka food estab-
lishments. Congdon declared, ragged
1916 per cent poor as against a state
average of 2.40 A total of 80 Topeka
establishments were listed as VERY
poor" and will be the first to feel the
effect of a clean up campaign. No
uces have been given to nearly 200
shop keepers instructing them 20
clean up. A total of 129 formal no
tices have been served in Topeka.
Campaign by Board OF Health.
The campaign in Topeka is one OF
the most drastic undertaken by the
state board of health. 1t will be
sweeping and severe in many in
stances, Congdon indicated. The state
department will cooperate with the
newly organized city food inspection
department.
at is just plain dirt" was the in
dictment against scores of Topeka
stores and shops today when Congdor
discussed conditions as found in To-
peka. The general condition is de-
plorable.''
Then Congdon produced records to
show a comparison as affecting To-
peka and the state at large.
Just look at these figures" Cong
don said
He then produced a record cover
/ ing food establishments in the state
for the six months period frcm July /.
1915 to January /, 1916. The six
inspections 1t showed: 51.06 per cent
good, 9.65 per cent. good to fair:
36.S9 per cent fair; 2.4O per cent poor.
Covered 1858 Inspections.
Against this record. Congdon Of
fered the Topeka report for sixty
days. 1t covered 363 inspections They
showed 23.43 per cent good, 1857 per
cent good to fair; 53.16 per cent, fair.
1916 per cent, poor.
The figures for the state and To-
peka are virtually reversed" declared
Congdon. More than sixty per cent
VI the SlODS III inc at large are
in the good or good to fair class m
Topeka, nearly 81 per cent of the
places are in the poor or fair class.
1t is deplorable.
1T is just plain dirt why. we
/ found dirt caked Un the floors of
bakeries. We found dirty ice boxes
dirty walls, and deteriorated goods We
issued 25 orders where goods were
misbranded. We issued 12 orders
! where drug stores had misbranded or
deteriorated goods on their shelves.
We found SO places that were very,
very poor-places where they must
/ clean up at once or complaints will
| be made with the county attorney. We
! issued 129 written orders and many
verbal orders"
/ In the main shop owners were given
| from three to twenty days TO meet the
requirements of the health depart
ment. Unless action is taken at that
time, prosecutions under the pure
( food and drug act will be started,
| CongdOn stated