The Washington times., 1920-07-31
CONGRESSLAX
ON PURE FOOD
Has Refused Appropriations for
Adequate Inspection-U. S.
Bureau Needs Money.

n Congress has any regard for the
health OF the country they will grant
Increased appropriations for the Bu-
reap OF Chemistry. OF the Department
OF Agriculture. This is the statement
made yesterday by officials OF the de-
partment in commenting on the work
OF the enforcement OF the pure food
and drugs act.
According to officials OF the bu-
reau. there never was a greater
temptation for manufacturers 10
adulterate their products than exists
now. With some OF the things that
enter into the manufacture OF food
stufIs. entirely on the market. and
others selling at such high prices,
that their use makes for high prices.
the manufacturers are sorely tempted
to cheaper their products by adul-
teration.
Realizing that this condition of af-
fairs confronted the country. the bu-
reau asked for an additional appro-
priation OF s50000 over last year. In
stead OF granting the increased ap-
propriatiop, Congress In the closing
days of the last session cut the ap-
preparation so that for this fiscal year
IL is $50, 900 less than last year.
This necessarily restricts the in
J
drugs act officials say Where they
planned to enlarge the inspection
force this year, they have been forced
to cut IL down, so that only the high
spots in the inspection service are be
ing attended to. Under ordinary con-
ditions the force OF the bureau has
never been able to inspect all the
foodstuffs of the country but they
have maintained a watch that, while
IL did not cover everything in the line
of foodstuffs, the force was large
enough to be feared by any manu-
facturer who attempted to adulterate
his products. The consequence was
that very little adulteration has been
practiced during the past few years.
In the District of Columbia, the
people are fortunate in having a good
food inspection force in the District
Health Department, the officials At
the Agriculture Department say. but
there is a lot of foodstuffs imported
into the District, which should be in
spected at the other end. thus saving
great deal Of time to the local
health officers. and In a measure
safeguarding those things which slip
by the District authorities.
Another thing that has the officials
of the Bureau of Chemistry on the
anxious seat, Is It's lnaDlllty TO OBTAIN
chemists. The bureau Is at the pres
ent time short more than thirty chem
lists, which the officials say Is de-
plorable. The financial allurements
offered by commercial concerns
throughout the United States for
chemists, compared with the meager
salary offered by the Government,
does not tend to draw many trained
chemists to the Government service.1
the officials say. The Civil Service
Commission has been appealed to in
vain by the bureau for chemists. the
&C mmission sending back word that
there is no waiting list.
Much Of the work planned by the
Bureau of Chemistry is being held
up, 1t is said, because of the failure
to get enough chemists, and the chem
lists that the bureau has are working
at top speed to keep up with the
ordinary needs of the bureau. In
many instances, it Is said, the bureau
has had to borrow chemists from
other bureaus of the Government to
complete some work that was urgent
ly needed.