No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 321 



and found to be adulterated or preserved with a poisonous sub- 

 stance: "This has been a mistake of our shipper or our packer; these 

 goods were not put up for the State of Pennsylvania but for some 

 other state where the Pure Food Ltnvs are not so vigorously en- 

 forced." So you can see, my friends, if it was not for the strict en- 

 forcement of the Pure Food Laws of our State, our markets would 

 continue to be flooded with food products preserved with chemicals 

 which would be poisonous in their nature and injurious to health; the 

 facts are, we would be able to purchase but very little that would be 

 true to name, pure, or as represented. 



In regards to the enforcement of the Pure Fo.od Laws of the State, 

 let me quote to you the results of the work in Allegheny county from 

 April 1, 1903, to May 7, 1906, Number of Pure Food cases prose- 

 cuted, 510; oleomargarine, 120; renovated butter, 44; a total of 680 

 cases prosecuted and finally adjusted. The amount of fines paid in 

 Allegheny county during this period was |46,(^74.50, oleomargarine 

 and renovated butter license, |77,439.16, making a grand total that 

 has been remitted to the Department from Allegheny county alOne 

 of 1123,513.66. 



The result of the entire work of the Department is as follows: 

 In 1903 there were 1,800 cases, in 1904, 1,517 cases; 1905, 1,085 cases. 

 The amount paid in the State Treasury in 1903 was |93,458.71; 1904, 

 196,183.23; 1905, |S2,467.60. Therefore, it is not necessary for me 

 to consume any more of your time to try to convince you that the 

 Pure Food Laws of the State of Pennsylvania are being vigorously 

 enforced. I told you in the beginning, that of the first four thousand 

 samples purchased -under the present administration, which begun 

 in the year 1903, that 82 per cent, of the samples' were found to be 

 adulterated, while to-day our chemists' reports show that the adul- 

 teration in the food stuffs is less than 10 per cent. 



I want to speak to you briefly on the Oleomargarine Law and 

 the enforcement thereof. Let me say to you in the first place, that 

 there is not an oleo dealer in Allegheny county that does not under- 

 stand the law. They not only make a close study of the law, but a 

 very careful study of their local business, as well as every customer, 

 and they are very suspicious of every new face. The facts are, the 

 only encouragement they have to continue in the business is, that 

 75 per cent, of the people of Allegheny and surrounding counties 

 are in favor of oleomargarine. One of the judges in that county 

 in sentencing said, "He was only sorry that the minimum fine was 

 not |10 instead of |100," but he was here to do his duty, and sen- 

 tenced them to pay $100 in each case. 



It may seem to those having no experience in running down vio- 

 lators of this law, that it is a very easy task. But as one who has 

 had the experience, let me speak of a few of the methods that were 

 used in procuring samples of oleomargarine. As I have stated 

 before, the oleo dealers make a very close study of their local 

 trade, and are very suspicious of every new face, therefore, it is 

 necessary for the agents to adopt such methods that will throw the 

 oleo dealer off his guard. 



Sometimes the agent will appear in the garb of a coal miner, 



railroader, iron worker or a farmer; and many times the agent will 



visit the store from time to time and make purchases of food stuffs, 



until such time that the merchant feels he is a regular customer, 



21—7—1906. 



