Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1907 — THE PURE FOOD LAW [ARTICLE]

THE PURE FOOD LAW

Beneficient Results Have Attended the Forward Movement of. Indiana State Legislature. _ - J - i ‘ 1 HOW THE PEOPLE PROFIT BY IT The Consumer Relieved erf the Fear ©f Unwittingly Buying Unwholesome ... and .XJeteterLj.u* Foodstuffs=-Reforni. Due Almost Entirely to Republican Legislators. tape clal Corresponflence. J Indianapolis, Ind., July 31. The , first report of the State Board of ; Health on the enforcement of the new i Indiana pure food law shows that wonderful progress is toeing made. Such a great reform Is already appar- j ent as to warrant the prediction that j within a very short time no housewife need have fear as to the purity ' of any article she may buy, even an obscure store. This reform, which is due almost entirely to Republican legislators, national as well as state, is so far-ceaclv-ing th’at <-v+ry family in tbe grc?.’. Hoosier commonwealth will be affected. - - Up to this time Indiana has been I a dumping ground for Impure foods made at Chicago and other large centers. There was tic weapon —With which the health officers could meet the situation, and it is estimated that impure food and drugs cost thousands of lives. In fact, it will never be known what the loss of life amcninted to. People Slow to Move. Notwithstanding the notorious evils of the old system, the public was slow to take up with the pure food movement. The expense was heralded as an objection to it. Some of the Republican legislators who took an active part in agitating it Were hailed as cranks. It was significant of the general make-up of the party that the pure food bills were opposed by the Democrats. They stood out against the appeal for better conditions as long as possible on the specious plea that It would be unwise and therefore unnecessary for the state to spend the money and go to the trouble of inspecting food and drugs. The people could do it themselves or take the consequences, they said. Even when they were shown what the consequences were, they didn’t join In the movement for the betterment of the causu of humanity until they saw that the fight had bean won by the Republicans.

The Inspection Begun. After the law wa« enacted by the recent legislature the State Board of Health set about Immediately tn enforce it One of the provisions was that inspectors should be appointed with full authoritj’ to visit any place where food or drugs were made or sold and to take samples from which an analysis could be made. From that time the state laboratory of hygiene at the capitol building has been a very busy place. Hundreds of samples were brought in by the vigilant inspectors and they were examined as rapidly as possible. A record of every analysis was made so that the health officers would have evidence for prosecutions if necessary. Althongt the whole project of enforcement of the law is in its infancy, the splendid progress is a tribute to the men in charge and to the party that is responsible for the enactment of the good law. Conditions Are Better. The following is an extract from the report of the pure food inspectors: “Following instructions to inspectors in regaid to sanitary conditions, fifty-six cities and towns have already been visited, and 1.357 business places have been examined. Out of 4SI grocery stores, seventeen were found to be in an excellent condition; 170 were good; 229 fair; 52 poof, and 13 bad. The places reported as being in poor or bad condition were usually unclean or poorly lighted and ventilated. Of the 302 meat markets inspected. six were in excellent condition. 90 good. 165 fair. J 3 poop and IS bad. The meat shops were usually condemned as being poor or bad because of unclean conditions and foul refrigerators. The drug storms. 220 -of which we mspgcXwk Me Ml the whole kept In a much better condition than are the grocery stores aad meat markets Eleven were in excellent shape. 122 gooff, 78 fair, nine only fair, while none were so trianaged that they were reported as bad. One hundred and thirty bakeries and candy sbqpe were inspected and four fcand to be in cKceilcet condition, BO good. SI fair, 19 poor and six bad. The bake-shops were usually condrwned because of unCleitn conditions, a few were poorty lighted and bnMy ventilated. Of the IS9 hotels and restaurants examined, Moe were hi excellent eonfttlon, 67 goMl, 67 fair. 3> poor and eeven bad; €e existing conditions were usually uncleanliness and foul Sixty-one dairies here bean i—gected. at which five were excellent. 11 gooff, 27 fair,' *ls and five bad; the existing conditions were usually undeanllness and lack of proper ventilation and light. “Two hundred and thirty-fire second inspections have been made, which have shown in moot cases swfited Improvement in swnitgry eSM