REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



United States Depahtmext of AGRicrLTuuE, 



Bureau of Chemistry. 

 Washington^ D. (7., October 11, 1919. 

 Sir : I submit herewith the report of the work of the Bureau of 

 Chemistry for the fiscal vear ended June 30, 1919. 

 Respectfiill}', 



C. L. Alsberg, Chief. 

 lion. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



As hist year was a year of readjustment within the bureau to meet 

 the demands for assistance made by tlie Government's war machine, 

 so tliis vear has been one of return to the normal. During^ the war 

 so nuich unusual work was required of tlie bureau that its momentum 

 was temporarily checked, and it had to be content to keep the regula- 

 tory work as nearly as possible up to its prewar level. It could not 

 hope to forge ahead. Since the armistice was signed, the bureau has 

 gradually regained its prewar acceleration, with the result that, 

 though four months of the year were Avar months, and though the 

 armistice did not by any means halt work for the war agencies or 

 make it possible to recruit the bureau's force up to its normal 

 strength, nevertheless 1,133 recommendations for criminal prosecu- 

 tion and 1,05-2 for seizure alleging violation of the Food and Drugs 

 Act were sent to the Solicitor — by far the largest total for any one 

 year in the history of the enforcement of the Food and Drugs Act. 

 This is not to be taken to mean that the war has lowered the ethics 

 in this country of the food and drug producing industries as a 

 whole, ajiliough it has increased sophistication and misbranding in 

 certain special directions. It mereh' shows that the bureau's regula- 

 tory force is gaining in efficiency as it gains in experience, and that 

 the gradual reorganization of the bureau, the evolution of Avhich has 

 been recorded in its reports from year to year, is bringing results. 



While the regulatoi'y force of the bureau, despite the depletion of 

 its personnel, is performing a greater volume of work than ever be- 

 fore, the constructive research work has not yet returned to normal. 

 Partly completed war research problems have had to be rounded out, 

 that the time and effort originally expended upon them might not bo 

 wholly lost. Moreover, the lure of high salaries is stronger than 

 ever, so that there has been a heavy drain upon the bureau's force 

 through the passing of men from it into the industries. The totally 

 inadequate salaries offered by the Government have made it impos- 

 sible to fill suitably the gaps thus created. From July 1, 1917, to 

 June 30, 1919, of the war period, the separations from the service, 

 not including men who entered the military service, have been of 

 the technically trained staff' 39 per cent of the prewar strength of Ihe 

 bureau, of the clerical staff 68 per cent, and of the staff of laborers, 



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