The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-01

has been improved in cleanliness
purity, and the condition OF santa
ton under which produced The
canning OF decomposed navy beans
has been largely suppressed. Inter
state shipments Of oysters from pol
luted waters has practically ceased.
Because of cooperation with state
and municipal officials in controlling
the shipment Of bad eggs, IL Is re-
ported that the quality of the eggs
reaching the large cities is much
improved. Other products in whose
handling and sale Improvement has
been noted include mineral water,
tomato products, fruit, vinegar and
gelatin.
States Cooperate With Federal
Laws.
One consequence Of the enactment
of the Food and Drugs act was to
encourage similar legislation in
many Of the states the purpose of
which is to control traffic in food
and drugs which, since no interstate
commerce is involved, are not sub
ject to the federal law. For example,
in 1905, many states had no feeding
stuffs law. A state could not prose-
cute a manufacturer unless he were
citizen of that state. The federal
law supplements the state law in this
respect and now most OF the states
have similar laws.
In the beginning the confusion and
apparent conflict between local and
federal laws and administration OF
laws not only made it difficult for the
two sets of officials to cooperate,
but often made ii necessary for
manufacturers to make special prep
arations for shipment to certain
states at extra cost, the extra cost
being to a considerable extent by the
organization of two agencies which
in a large measure have removed
some of the difficulties arising from
the conflict of federal and state
These agencies are %
the joint committee on definitions
and standards and (2) the office of
cooperative state and federal food
and drug control.
Development in Food and Drug
Industries.
The Food and Drugs act was one
Of the first laws which today would
be classed as laws for the proven
ton of unfair competition. The re-
port says that the suppression of
fraud upon the consumer and of un- |
,air competition among business |
'ivals are "but the two faces of the |
same coin" In consequence the food |
Industries are sincerely and active !
Y helping the bureau of chemistry |
% enforce the law.
Frequently, the report says, the |
bureau is appealed to by the in
Iustries to compel the cessation of
Unfair practices and to encourage the
naturalization of the products,
yhen the industry is incapable by
tself Of bringing about these results.
he act is described as one OF the
Influences which have helped to
raw competitors together into asso-1
iations like the guilds of the middle
ges, although the modern associa-
ons lack the special privileges which
he ancient guilds often enjoyed.
Some Of the associations, under
landing the value of constructive
-ork, now devote considerable
honey to experimental research into
problems. Thus is made
to the small manufacturer
Semitic assistance ordinarily beyond
Is reach. Since the bureau Of chem !
try always has regarded it as it's
lty not merely to report violations 1
Z the law but also to prevent acct 6
entail violations, through construc- I
We work in tending to improve
ethOds Of manufacture, it cooper
.es actively with such associations {
manufacturers. Such cooperation, 8
2 the various government agencies,
Lys the report, is bound to exert the r