74 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



people. Some, who are, for various reasons, living from band to 

 mouth are not able to purchase any but the poorest and cheapest 

 foods. Many others who are under no such necessity do so for the 

 sake of economy. The temptation to provide adulterated products 

 or to use preservatives to the end that interior products may be used 

 is still urgent and a minority of manufacturers and dealers find it 

 impossible to resist. They want to cater to the trade that seeks 

 cheap things and they want to make a profit. Indeed, the profit 

 on inferior goods is generally much greater than that on better 

 articles. Thus far the State laws have been ineffective. The act 

 of 1907 sought to conform the practice of Pennsylvania to that of 

 the Federal government, insisting that the policy of the State Dairy 

 and Food Bureau should be conformed to the varying rules of the 

 Federal officials having authority over food aiid drinks and for- 

 bidding the criminal prosecution of delinquents, but providing for 

 the recovery of fines for violation of the act by civil processes. 

 This provision weakened the act quite as much as its other contra- 

 dictory sections and rendered its enforcement very difficult. Never- 

 theless this Bureau never relaxed its efforts to keep the food supply 

 of the people pure. How well it succeeded will be observed by the 

 statistics which accompany this report. The act of 1907, declared 

 unconstitutional by Judge Bell, of Blair county, and partly so by 

 Judge Smith, of Clearfield county, was increasingly ineffective with 

 each passing "inonth. It was a well meant measure, but in its 

 desire to protect the retailers it seems to have overstepped the 

 bounds of constitutional legalit}'. 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



The successive numbers of the Monthly Bulletin issued during the 

 year 1908 have been prepared with much care. They have contained 

 the oflicial record of the doings of the Bureau and its agents during 

 each month and have likewise contained several pages of editorial 

 and other matter chiefly intended to dift'use information among 

 venders and consumers in reference to the important matter of food 

 products. While it has been deemed necessary upon occasion to 

 ex}>ress decided opinions concerning controverted matters, an effort 

 has been made to be entirely fair and nobody has been consciously 

 attacked. In the preparation of articles dealing with existing 

 abuses, it has been the rule to mention no names. The fact that this 

 is an official publication, representing the whole people and pub- 

 lished in their interest, has not been forgotten so that anything that 

 might be construed into advertising any particular business or an.> 

 special house has been avoided. It is not contended that no mis- 

 takes have been made; those who are entrusted with the preparation 

 of the successive monthly numbers of the Bulletin are human and 

 they have perhaps bhnuhn-ed at times in the past, but they have 

 striven to make it an educational publication and have reason to 

 believe their efforts have been crowned with a measurably degree 

 of success. Many letters of commendation have been received from 

 widely scattered parts of the Union atul few adverse criticisms. In 

 this and other states manufacturers and dealers as well as private 

 citizens have been good enough to write their cordial appreciation 

 of many of the contents of this publication, so that it is evidently 

 accomplishing a work wider than that of a mere official transcript 



