Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1909 — SHOULD PREFERENCE BE SHOWN? [ARTICLE]

SHOULD PREFERENCE BE SHOWN?

Is Our Pure Food Inspection a Rank Fraud? WHY THIS SPECIAL MENTION

Of the “Best” Grocery In Some Towns Visited and Not Mentioned In Other Towns?—ls There Solicitation From the Inspectors for Such Special Mention, Which Is the Best Advertisement a Business Could Have If the Inspections Are On the Square?

The monthly bulletin of the Indiana State Board of Health for March reached our table yesterday, and we want to call attention to the reports published therein of the inspectors of the food and drug department during the month of March, and to this end we copy a few of the reports as published in this official bulletin: Rensselaer, Jasper County—Four grocery stores were visited and found in fair condition. Two meat markets were found good and one fair. Three drug stores were found good. Two slaughter houses were visited and found in good condition. Edinburg, Johnson County—Three grocery stores were visited and found in good condition. The grocery stores owned by J. J. Hyde and Chupp Bros., were visited and found in excellent condition. Two meat markets and 2 drug stores were visited and found in good condition. Two restaurants were found poor, being very unclean. Terre Haute, Vigo County—One grocery store was found good, 1 fair and 3 poor. Notice was given to clean up at once. Two meat markets were found in fair shape. Three drug stores were round good and the drug stww~owned by the Oak Hall Pharmacy was in excellent condition. Two confectioneries were found to be in good condition. One confectionery owned by Mokely & Harkness were found to be in excellent condition.

Madison, Jefferson County—Sev-enty-five inspections were made. Of seven dairies visited 2 were found fair and 5 poor. The grocery store owned by Fred J. Miller was visited and found to be in excellent condition. Twenty-eight were found good and 5 five fair. Twb fish markets were found in poor shape. Twenty-four hours was given to clean up. Nine meat markets were found good. Six drug stores were found good and 1 poor, being very unclean. One confectionery owned by Fred Glass was visited and found in good condition. Eight were found good. One chewing gum factory was round good. One slaughter house was found good. One poultry house was found good and 1 fair. Three hotels and restaurants were found good. Three restaurants were founM fair and 1 poor.

Franklin, Johnson County—Three grocery stores were found good and 1 fair. The grocery stores owned by J. W. Judah and Samuel D. Miller were visited and found in excellent condition. Four meat markets were found good and i fair. Three drug stores were found good. Six bakeries and confectioneries were found in good shape. One confectionery was found fair. Three hotels and restaurants were found in good shape. One restaurant was found fair and two poor, being unclean and unsanitary. Greencastle, Putnam County—One grocery store was found good and 1 poor, which waq closed up until made sanitary. One meat market was found fair. Notice was given to clean up and keep clean. Four drug stores were found good. One hotel and restaurant was found In fair shape. One fish market and In fair shape. The Pie-Zee Bottling 1 bakery were visits and found Works was found to be in excellent condition.

Boonville, Warrick County—Thir-ty-seven inspections were made. Of 14 groceries visited 8 were found good, 5 fair and 1 poor. Two meat markets were found good and 2 fair. Two slaughter houses were rated fair. Three drug stores, 3 bakeries and confectioneries and 1 canning factory were visited and' found in good condition. Two hotels were found good and 1 fair. Four restaurants were found fair. One poultry house and 2 lunch carts were inspected and found in fair shape. Bunker Hill, Miami County—One grocery store * and i meat market were visited and found in good condition. Two grocery stores and 2 meat markets were visited and found in fair condition. Two drug stores were rated good. One bakery and confectionery and 1 restaurant were visited and found in fair condition. One slaughter house was rated fair.

The Walls needed whitewashing, the floors were not water tight and the odor was bad. Clay City, Clay County—One grocery store owned by L. Meyer was found to be in excellent condition. Thirteen grocery stores were found good, 1 fair and 2 poor, being very unclean.. Three meat markets were found good and 2 fair. Six drug stores were found good and 6 fair. Two restaurants were found good. Two bakeries and -2 confectioneries were found good and one bakery was found fair.

Now why should the name of a certain store in some towns be given special mention and not in others? It is evident that there must be one or two that rank above others in every town, yet in not more than half the towns visited is special mention made of one particular store being in “excellent condition,” and that store named. Why is this? If there are 17 grocery stores in Clay City, for example, 13 good, 1 fair and 2 very unclean, why should the one “owned by L/ Meyer” be singled out and mentioned as in excellent condition and no mention made of who owns the 2 that are “poor,” and “very unclean.”

These are questions that the public is interested in, and if we are to have any confidence in this branch of our state department there must be a change in the manner of conducting it. This department should not be used for booming any one grocery store or meat market in a town or to bring flmsy prosecutions in court like those brought against the Rensselaer druggists’ lately. Governor Marshall should see to it that an investigation is made of this so-called pure-food and drug department of our state board of health. It looks very much like it was rotten to the core.