El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-10-18
NEW LAW makes
FOR CLEAN FOOD
Some Makers of Food in
Chihuahua Can't Pay
Tax; Have to Quit.

While the chamber OF commerce,
the housewives league and other
civic organizations are bending their
energies to promote and encourage
the made in II Paso industries, food
ordinances enacted by the city coun-
ell are operating TO stifle and dis
courage many made in Chihuahuita'
products.
While the list Of made in El Paso
products is a Ions one, including
flour. macaroni and similar paste
foods. candies, butter and many otGer
eatables, Chihuahua has a number
Of food industries Of its own; ana
while the former are all conducJe1
on a large scale and can easily com
ply with the law, the latter are often
almost without capital and managed
on methods almost as primitive as the
Indian plan Of grinding corn, ana
consequently, the enforcement OF inc
pure food laws is hitting them nara
This is what the men employed 9y
the CITY board Of health to enforce the
food ordinances report
Drives out Vendors
On account Of the IS license re-
quired Of every one engaged IN the
manufacture and sale or iooG
products. the many little tripod
stands, at Uhich variety Of MeNlcan
candies. known as "dulces.' are dis
played are gradually being driven
from the streets. The candies anu
fruit mixtures they manufacture be
ing distinctive and made by Few
Americans, they are becoming hard
TO find in FL Paso.
Can't Pay; Have to Quit.
Along with the "dulCes' vendors are
going the hot tamale men and the ice
cream peddlers. who have heretofore
#Hnfr Tnwnf'rrnHs under .anTnInr.n TI<
that suited themselves and sold them
without paying a license. Now, the
CITY health officers insist that GER
tain laws OF sanitation must De oo-
served in food manufactures. ana
that licenses must be paid IN most
instances. the tamale man or the ice
cream peddler cannot afford 20 40
either. and goes out Of business
NixtamaI Makers Get BY.
The larger made in Chihuahuita IN
dustries are able. say The health IN
speCtors, 10 remain in business. PFC
vided the sanitary regulations are not
too minutely enforced, and a stray
fly and a little dust in q dark corner
are overlooked For instance. there are
about eight niXtamal plants in the
southsIde. all Of them owned, it Isl
said. by a brother Of the late presi-
dent Nadero. Of Mexico Some Of these
are almost modern. electric motors be-
ing used TO drive the grinders IN
which the corn and water are con-
verted into mush, which is peddleC
around the streets TO those desiring 10
make Mexican pancakes, or hand
cakes" the hands being used 10 beat
them into shape The -maSca ma
chimes. however. are merely a modern
form Of the old Indian stone method,
for the main part OF the apparatus IS
a circular stone which grluds the
corn into the pulp
ssFideo- Plants In Easements.
Another "hiE' industry in Chihua-
huita is the manufacture Of "fideo.'
or Mexican flour products There are
several OF these plants in the base
ment or a large building near the
river. Iuasnuch as they are con-
spicIous for the antiquity OF the
methods employed. they are mecca
for tourists in Chihuahuita. In the
first place, they are installed in base
enters. After entering one Of these
"fideo' factories. one must be there
several minutes before his eyes be-
come so adjusted that he can see. He
viii then notice machinery. operated
by man power In the same manner
that mules were used on corn mills
centuries ago. The "fideO" when
turned from the molders. is placed on
racks. made Of cloth with wooden
framework. TO dry in the American
macaroui plants, the drying is done
over poles. which are washed after
each batch Is completed.
The health departments inspectors
are adopting a policy OF leniency with
the Cnihuahuita industries, especially
the smaller ones. because the desire
Is not 20 put any one out OF business
possible 20 avoid this result so far,
they said.