The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1957-12-26
THIS WEEK
IN
WASHINGTON
REP. JOHN e. HENDERSON

In recent weeks, l nave re-
ceived letters expressing con-
Germ over the use of chemical
additives in food and the pos
sible dangers to health which
some of these chemicals pose.
The protection of the public in
such questions is the respon-
sibility of the Food and Drug
Administration and the U. S.
Public Health Service who must
carry out the provisions of the
Federal Food, Drug and Co.'S
metic Act.
After discussing the publicity
given this question with the two
agencies, it is apparent that both
feel that there is a serious loop
hole that needs to be closed in
the present law Today, there is
no requirement in the law that
new chemical other than coal
tar color must be tested for
safety before it is added to food.
What the agencies are request
ing calls for a food professor
to subject any chemicals to ade-
quate scien ific testing before
they are added to food. Thus,
it could be established that pro-
posed ingredients are safe before
they are used. Under existing
law, no action can be taken to
prevent the use of a chemical
until it can be proved in court
of law that it is definitely pois
onous and harmful. Often, it
takes two years or more for
scientific research before legal
procedures can be started. In
the meantime, the chemical can
be used in food sold to the
public.
In most cases, chemical manu-
facturers and food professors are
very careful to assure that test
ing is complete. However, there
is no enforcement machinery
now to assure that this is done.
| Today, a Congressional Com
mittee is studying the many
facets of this question and there
is a strong possibility that legis-
lation will be enacted in the next
six months. Until that time, it
is we'll to consider that food
additives generally have i'm
proved our food and have made
them safer in many ways. 1t IS
also true that the problem is a
complex one. Often, safe chemi-
Gals are made up of poisonous
components. Ordinary table salt,
for instance, consists of sodium
and chloride, either of which
could cause serious effects if ii
were eaten separately.
The Modern Ohio
The effort to maintain the
Ohio River as an artery of mod
ern navigation con- inues under
the pressures of new commercial
and industrial demands. With
our annual seventy-one million
tons of barge traffic using the
river, the Army Corps of En-
gineers which is responsible fol-
| the Al locks and dams which
were built between 1920 and 1925
have been engaged in a modern
ization program for some years
This program has recently foe
used consideration on replace
ment of the old locks numbered
tl7, 18, 19, and 20 below Mari
eta with one larger dam anc
locks system at Belleville.
At a meeting recently in Mari
eta, it was apparent that com
mercial demands for barge traf
flee on our major inland wafer
way are increasing tremendously
. and will increase at an ever
faster pace if the valleys indus
} trial development continues &C
cording to present trends. This
question that begins to emerge
now is whether the present ant
) future demands of river tratfl
: may not soon create need TO
: speeding up the modernizatlol
{ and replacement of Ohio's lock
= and dams over the 20-year sche
7 dule now planned.
= New Social Security Office
: The announcement of tn
a opening of new Social Securit
2 office in Marietta is welcome
= as an improvement in servic
5 to the residents of Southeastern
2 Ohio's counties. 1t is true tha
S the office in GAINESVILLE an
!, Portsmouth have given fin
. service to this territory. HoWeve
= the case load has increased tire
2 mendously and the resources {
4 those offices have been strained
, The new office will admin:
r ter the program in WaShingto,
= Monroe, Athens, and Meig
i counties. In these four countie
t alone, over $500 residents wer
;. receiving benefits from the Pre-
gam amounting to $424,0O0 pc
S month at the beginning of tn
iyear.