The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-11-15
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AND STATE HOUSEKEEPERS
Supervision of Foodstuffs and
Bedding Inspection Explained

Nearly all Marylanders are aware
of the fact that the State Department
OF Health has supervision over mat
tiers relating to the purity, the proper
handling and production of foodstuffs.
The care that is taken to protect oys-
ters, crabs, milk and other foods from
contamination, the precautions used to
prevent adulteration of foods and to
insure cleanliness in handling are we'll
known. But the fact that the de-
partment is entrusted with the same
sort of supervision over bedding ma
terials-mattresses, pillows, holsters,
feather beds and comfortables-th
are manufactured or displayed for
sale in Maryland, and under the law is
required to make similar inspections
of them to see that the health regula-
tons are observed, is not equally we'll
known.
A report prepared recently by Mr..
j. Davis Donovan, of the State De-
partment of Health, describing the
work that has been done in carrying
out the provisions of the Maryland
bedding law, brings out some interest
ing facts. The law was introduced at
the request of manufacturers; was
passed at the 1924 session of the Leg
islature and amended in Certain de-
tails in 1927. 1t corresponds closely
to that of Pennsylvania and other
nearby states and requires, first of
all, that all feathers and down, new or
old, and all other second hand mater
ial be properly sterilized and disin-
fected before use; and second, the use
of a linen tag on each article giving
an accurate statement of the materi-
ais used in filling.
The inspections made in carryir
out the provisions of the law have
covered manufacturing plants, ware
houses, jobbing houses, auction rooms,
second hand stores and retail estab-
lishments.
The most fragrant attempt at de-
ceiving prospective purchasers was
found in the output of certain mat
tress factory, the mattresses from
which were labeled "all new felt and
cotton" When speciment mattresses
from this concern were bought and
the contents examined, one of them
weighing 2112 pounds was found to
contain more than pounds, or over
one-third of dirt. Another, in addi-
ton to an equally large percentage of
dirt, contained three chunks of con-
crete. On being questioned, the pro-
prietor of the plant admitted that it
had been customary to shovel dirt of
the dust bins into the mattresses. The
mattresses were of course withdrawn
from sale.
But the majority of the inspections
have turned out differently and appre-
citation is expressed in the report of
the way in which the greater number
of the manufacturers and dealers have
cooperated with the Department. In
an examination made last winter of
samples of comfortables labeled "all
new wool" from fifteen different fac
tories, all were found to contain over
95 per cent of wool except the output
from one plant, whose comforts, de-
spite the label, contained from 20 to
30 per cent of cotton. When articles
of this sort have been found, the man.
ufacturers have been notified and
have been given an opportunity to
make the necessary changes. Prose
cution has been used only as last re-
sort. If the plant is outside the state,
the sale of the illegal articles is
stopped and the proper official in the