The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-02
PERvERTING LAWS

Those who are in position to APP
preciate the fundamental fairness of
the federal pure food and drugs law
view with concern an attempt that
is being made to extend it's function
ing from the field of general appli-
cation to the field of special aplica-
| ton.
In its smaller scope, the law pro-
tecting the American public against
injurious or fraudulent food products
is valued for much the same reasons
that make the constitution for the Uni
ted States the greatest governmental
pact of the ages. The provisions of
both, in their respective spheres, are
so grounded in broad. human funda-
mentals, that they apply equitably
for the greatest good to the greatest
| number.
The transportation of adulterated
foods in inter state commerce is for
biden by the pure food law. y The law
not specify in detail what foods are
adulterated AS the provisions of the
| constitution are construed by judicial
minds, when applied to specific cases,
so are the provisions of the pure food
/ law interpreted by pure food author
tiles when applied to specific cases,
The lower house of congress is con-
sidering a bill which would undermine
the just operation of this law. An
attempt is being made to amend the
law by picking out a specific product
and making it subject to the general
prohibition whereby adulterated foods
may not be carried in interstate
commerce.
The stone-wall strength of the pure
food law, as exemplified in its ca
pacity for regulation with broad, gem
eral fairness. would be pierced at its
foundation by this thrust of discrimi-
nation against one specific food pro-
duct Undermined in this way once
the law would not be long in crumb-
ling into uselessness so far as the
public is concerned. precedent
would be established that would spell
complete undoing of all the good that
it has accomplished.
Certain dairy interests are respon-
sible for the bill that threatens this
disruption. They aim to kill the in
dustry that produces compounds for
culinary uses. These compounds are
combinations of SKINNED milk and
vegetable fats. The bill now in con-
gress would amend the pure food and
drugs act so that milk in which there
is any fat other than butter fat would
come under the category of adulter-
ated foods. This characterization
would automatically deny to COM
pounds the privilege of Interstate
commerce.
Once weakened. the food law would
become football to be kicked around
at the pleasure of whatever industries
were powerful enough to effect a Sec
ond, tenth or twentieth amendment
working to their advantage and oper-
ating to the loss of their competitors
whose product the petitioninng in
dustries desire to brand as adulter-
ated foods
No manufacturer of a compounded
or synthetic food would be exempt
from enevitable attack if this dam
gerous precedent is once established.
Its economic effect on the country's
weave of inter-related interests is be-
yond present conjecture Today the
public is admirably protected against
deception and injury, not only as to
foods but in the matter of clothing
and many other commodities. The
only protection offered in case this
and other amendments prevail is the
protection against competition that
special industries will relieve. There
Is reason for concern in this expert
ment. 1t is to be hoped that congress
win recognize the dangerous nature
of this bin and refuse to make II a
law. Americans enjoy a model pure
food law upon which other nations