No. 7. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 75 



of the routine work of the office. No other state has an exactly 

 j5imilar publication, but in two or three the work is beginning. 



THE PEOPLE AND THE BUREAU'S AGENTS. 



It is with much pleasure the fact is recorded that an increasing 

 friendliness toward the agents of this Bureau is manifested by the 

 rank and tile of consumers. lu the begiuuing this was not always 

 so. In many instances the very persons the Dairy and Food Bureau 

 was organized to benefit looked with suspicion upon its work, 

 received its representatives coldly and put obstacles in the way 

 rather than to assist in ridding the State or adulterated or injurious 

 food products. Many regarded the Bureau as a refuge for practical 

 politicians and shut their eyes to the undoubted necessity existing 

 for the sort of work it was established to perform. They were not 

 conscious of the fact that much of the food on the market and con- 

 sumed by themselves and the members of their families was ren- 

 dered much more costly and much less nutritious by the addition 

 of adulterants which permitted manufacturers to sell it at what 

 seemed to be a remarkably low price. They were helped to believe 

 that the crusade in favor of pure food and the agitation in favor of 

 more effective laAvs were expensive and wholly unnecessary. It is 

 to the credit of former officers and agents of the Bureau, that they 

 went forward fearlessly and patiently in the performance of their 

 duties and succeeded in creating a sentiment that is widespread 

 among the people in opposition to adulterated food products. It is 

 understood now that the work of this Bureau is a far-reaching 

 benefit rather than an expense to the public, and the average con- 

 sumer now interests himself in the enactment of more efficient laws 

 and co-operates in their enforcement. This is x^artly the result of 

 the campaign of education conducted by the Bureau for many 

 months, and partly the result of the increased sanitary knowledge, 

 due to the active exertions of scientific experts. In every way the 

 situation is growing better with each passing year. 



ATTITUDE OF MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS. 



While there is a radical difference of opinion among manufact- 

 urers concerning the effect of chemical preservatives upon food 

 products, it is but fair to declare that a very large majority of the 

 manufacturers of the coiintry are in entire sympathy with the eft'orts 

 of the State and Federal governments to eliminate impure or adul- 

 terated food. This is also true of the retail grocers of the Common- 

 wealth. Throu;ih their Associations and by private assurances, 

 fhej have manifested their hearty and intelligent sympathy with 

 the' work of this Bureau and have again and again rendered valua- 

 ble assistance in the work of discovering and ending the activities 

 of the few violators of law whose efforts have been directed toward 

 the acquirement of money at the expense of the comfort and the 

 health of the consumer. Tlie comparative freedom of our markets 

 from injurious food products during the last two years, was due not 

 so much to the efficiency of the Pure Food Act of 1007, as to the 

 sterling honesty of manufacturers and the determination of retail 

 grocers to provide nothing unfit for their patrons. While violations 

 of law have occurred and men have been fined therefor, as the 

 summarv elsewhere given shows, yet the situation has shown won- 



