760 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



year, a marked increase over the number of cases presented in any- 

 one year previous, the number representing about 50 per cent of the 

 cases brought to judgment up to June 30, 1911. In achlition some 

 250 minor viohitions of tlio hiw, involving questions of labeling only, 

 were corrected without recourse to the courts. In that class of 

 ofTenses shippers voluntarily reformed their labels immediately on 

 notice by the Solicitor of the exceptions taken by the Bureau of 

 Chemistry to the branding. 



Of the criminal cases prosecuted during the year, 386 resulted in 

 convictions. As in previous years, defendants pleaded guilty in by 

 far the greater number of these cases. Eleven of the criminal cases 

 were decided adversely to the Government. Fines were imposed in 

 the criminal cases amounting to about $16,000, and, in addition, costs 

 were generally assessed against the defendants. Of the cases reported 

 during the year, 219 were pending in the courts at its close, and 351 

 reported late in the year were under consideration by the Department 

 of Justice. 



In the seizure cases decrees of condemnation and forfeiture were 

 entered against 277 shipments of adulterated and misbranded foods 

 and drugs. As heretoiore, whenever seized articles of food were 

 found to consist of filthy, decomposed, or putrid substances, or to 

 contain added poisonous or deleterious ingredients which might ren- 

 der them injurious to health, the department has insisted that orders 

 be entered directing the destruction of the goods. One hundred and 

 fifty shipments of this class were destroyed. On the other hand, in the 

 class of cases where the adulteration or misbranding was such that it 

 could be cured by relabeling, the courts have usually released seized 

 goods to claimants after relabeling whenever claimants have appeared 

 and consented to the entry of decrees of condemnation and forfeiture, 

 paid the costs of the proceedings, and filed bonds, as provided for by 

 section 10 of the act, that the goods would not thereafter be sold or 

 otherwise disposed of contrary to law. One hundred and twenty- 

 seven shipments of this class were released during the year after re- 

 labeling and the providing of satisfactory bonds. There have been 

 seized and destroyed large quantities of tomato catsup, tomato pulp, 

 tomato paste, frozen and desiccated eggs, and black olives, found to 

 be adulterated because they consisted in part of filthy, decomposed, 

 or putrid substances. Several shipments of ice-cream cones contain- 

 ing boric acid have also been condemned and destroyed. The practice 

 has been continued of reporting cases for criminal prosecution based 

 on shipments of seized goods found to consist of filthy, decomposed, 

 or putrid substances, or to contain added poisonous or deleterious 

 ingredients which may render them injurious to health, and criminal 

 prosecutions have been maintained successfully against shippers of 

 such articles. More than 60 sliipments of vinegars have been seized 

 on the ground, for example, that they were represented on their 

 labels as cider or apple vinegars, when they were found on analysis 

 to contain dilute solutions of acetic acid and to be artificially colored. 

 Shipments of this class have usually been released by the courts to 

 claimants after the entry of decrees of condemnation and forfeiture 

 and relabeling. Twenty-four seizure cases were discontinued, be- 

 cause evidence was not forthcoming on wliich to maintain them. In 

 12 cases seizures were abandoned because the goods had been dis- 

 posed of prior to the filing of libels. Fifty-nine seizures made during 

 the year were pending in the courts at its close. 



