Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1906 — NEW FOOD LAW [ARTICLE]

NEW FOOD LAW

y . t .- . .. j - ' People now demand We right to know exactly what they eat To be told by maker or retailer that the food is “pure” is not satisfactory; Candy may contain “pure” white clay or “pure” dyes and yet be very harmful. Syrups may contain “pure” glucose and yet be quite digestible and even beneficial. Tomato eatsup may contain a small amount Qf salicylic or boracic acid as a necessary preserva 7 five, which may agree with one and be harmful to another. Wheat flour may contain a portion of corn flour and really be improved. Olive oil may be made of cotton seed oil. Butter may contain beef suet and yet be nutritious. The person who buys and eats mustprotect himself and family, and he has a right to, and now demands, a law under which fa& can make intelligent selection of food. Many pure food bills- have been introduced and some passed by State legislatures; many have been offered io Congress, but all thus far seem objectionable. It has seemed difficult for politicians to formulate a satisfactory bill that would protect the common people and yet avoid harm to honest makers ami prevent endless trouble to- retailers. -No government commission or officer Has the right to fix “foocl standards” to define what the people shall ami shall not eat, for whiit agrees with on--may not agree ■with another and such act would deprive the common citizen of his personal liberty, /she Postuyn Cereal Company, Ltd., perhaps the largest makers of prepared foods In the world, have naturally a close knowledge of the needs of the people and the details of the btfsiness of the purveyors (the retail grocer) and, glided by this experience have prepared a bill for submission to Congress whieli is intended to accomplish the desired ends, and inasmuch as a citizen of the U. S. has a right to food protection even when he enters Another State it Is deemed proper that 4he government take control of this matter and provide a national law to govern all the states. A copy of the bill is herewith reproduced. Section 1 governs the maker whether the food is put up in small packages sealed, or in barrels, boxes or otherwise.

—Sec. 2 governs the retailer who may open a barrel and sell the food in small quantities. When he puts the goods into a paper bag he must also enclose a printed copy of the statement of the maker which was affixed to the original pkg. and inasmuch as the retailer cannot undertake to guarantee the statement of ingredients he must publish the statement of the makers and add his own name and address as a guarantee of his selling the food as it is represented to him. which relieves the retailer of responsiblity of the truth of the statement and throws it upon the maker, where it properly 10PFfTue remaining sections ’ explain themselves. The Postum Cereal Co., Ltd., for example, have from the beginning of Its existence printed on the outside of each and every pkg. of Postum and Grape-Nuts food a truthful and exact statement of what the contents were made of In order that the consumer might know precisely what he or she was eating. A person desiring to buy. for instance, strictly pure fruit jelly and willing to pay the price has a right to expect not only an equivalent for the cost but a further right to a certainty as to what he eats. Or be may be’willing to buy at less cost a jelly made part of fruit juices, sugar and a portion of glucose. But he must be supplied with truthful information of the ingredients and be permitted to use his personal liberty to select his own food accurately. The people have allowed the slow murder of infants and adults by tricky makers of food, drink and drugs to go on about long enough. Duty to oneself, family and nation demands that every man* and woman join in an organized movement to clear our people from this blight. You may not be able to go personally to Washington to impress your Congressmen, but you can, in a most effective way tell him by letter how you desire him to represent you. Remember- the Congressman Is In Congress to represent the people from bis district and if a goodly number of citizens express their views to him he secures a very sure guide to duty. Remember also that the safety of the people is assured by Insisting thjit the will of the people be carried out, and not the machinations of the few for •elfish interests. Thia pure food legislation Is a pure movement of the people for public protection. It will be opi>osed only by those who fatten their pockets by deceiving and injuring the people. Therefore. if your Representative In Congress evades bia patriotic duty hold him to strict accountability, and if necessary demand equitable and honest service. This is a very different condition than when a faction demands class legislation of the Congressman. Several years ago the butter interests of the country demanded legislation to kill the oleomargarine Industry and by power of organisation forced clast legislation really tigworthy of a tree people- Work people yrantod beef suet butter because it was

cheap and better than much unclean milk butter, but the dairy interests organized and forced the legislation. The law should have provided that pkgs, of oleomargarine bear the state ment of ingredients and then let people who desire purchase it for just what it is, and not try to kill It by a heavy tax. Manufacturers sometimes try to force measures in their own interests, but contrary to' the interests of the people and the labor trust is always active to push through bills drafted in the interest of that trust, but directly contrary to the Interests of the people as a whole. Witness the anti-injunction bih by which labor unions seek to tie the hands of our courts and prevent the issue of any order to restrain the members of that trust from attacking men or destroying property. Such a bill is perhaps the most infamous insult to our courts and the common people ever laid before Congress and the Representatives in Congress must be held to a strict accountability for their acts relating thereto.. But when bills come before Congress that are drawn in the interest of all the people they should reiceive the active personal support of the people and the representatives be instructed by the citizens. The Senat&rs also should be written to and instructed. If, therefore, you will remember your privilege and duty you will at once—now—write to your Congressman and Senator on this pure food bill. Clip mud—enclose the copy herewith presented and ask them to make a business of following it

through the committee considering It Urge it? being brought to a vote and requesting that they vote for it Some I oppressively intelligent and carping critic may say this is simply an advertisement for Postum and Grape-Nuts. It is true that these articles are spoken of here in a public manner, but they are as illustrattons of a manufacturer seeking by example, printing on each pkg. a truthful, exact statement of ingredients, to shame other makers into doing the fiiir thing by the common people, and establishing an era of pure food, but that procedure ijas not yet forced those who adulterate and deceive to change their methods, henco this effort to arouse public sentiiqent and show a way out of the present condition of fraud, deceit and harm. The undersigned is paying to the publishers of America about $20,000, to print this announcement in practically all of the great papers and magazines. in the conduct of what he chooses to term, "an educational campaign,” esteemed to be of greater direct value to the people than the establishment of many libraries. That is held to be’a worthy method of using money for the public good. Tell tlie people facts, show them a way to help themselves and rely uponthem to act intelligently and effectively. The reader will be freely forgiven . if he entirely forgets the reference to Postum and Grape-Nuts, if he will but jofiT the pure food movement and do things. C. W. POST.