476 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



standard, it seems justifiable to consider such practices as wilful infrac- 

 tions of the law. Among the unwitting violations, the sale of various milk 

 compounds which were not branded "Imitation Evaporated Milk," as re- 

 quired by the statutes, is perhaps the most frequent. While it is not the 

 desire of this Department to punish merchants who sell these milk com- 

 pounds unwittingly, it has no other recourse. The attention of manufac- 

 turers and jobbers of these products has been called to the requirements 

 of the law time and again, but despite this fact, a few, particularly job- 

 bers, continue to ship these milk compounds into the state bearing labels 

 which do not meet with the requirements. Since practically all of these 

 companies are located in other states, the department has no means of 

 punishing them other than by filing prosecutions against dealers hand- 

 ling their products, with the thought that the fines will either be passed 

 on to the parties who are really guilty or that so much dissatisfaction 

 will arise that they will either be forced to label these compounds properly 

 or withdraw them from sale in this state. The decreasing number of 

 illegal samples found is testimony that this method is proving successful. 



Considering the large volume of Iowa business, violations of the Weight 

 and Measure Law are comparatively infrequent, but are of especial im- 

 portance because of the high price of products prevailing. In many in- 

 stances where violations of this law were reported, it was found that the 

 merchant was innocent of any intent to defraud and that he was not 

 aware that his weights or measures were incorrect. However, it is safe 

 to say that in many cases where prosecutions were made for violations 

 of this law, the merchant was either guilty of dishonesty or negligence. 



The high price of materials is a temptation to certain dealers, particu- 

 larly manufacturers, to use substitutes in violation of the Pure Food Law. 

 Notable among these infractions was the use of saccharine m various 

 soft drinks. A campaign carried on during the months of June and July, 

 1920, resulted in the examination of a large number of these soft drinks, 

 about 25% of which contained saccharine. In a few instances it was found 

 that the use of the artificial sweetener was continued even after a manu- 

 facturer had been prosecuted. Needless to state that in cases of this 

 kind, the inspector was instructed to request the judge that the second 

 fine be placed high enough to discourage any future repetitions. 



The last of the five la-^ s most frequently violated i. e., the Sanitary Law, 

 continues to be an important feature in the routine of the department 

 force. Under this law a number of prosecutions were also made for the 

 failure on the part of dealers to return ice cream containers in a clean 

 condition. 



Prosecutions under the nine other laws enforced by this department: 

 the Agricultural Seed Law, Concentrated Feeding Stuff Law, Condimental 

 Stock Food Law, Paint and Linseed Oil Law, Insecticide and Fungicide 

 Law, Turpentine Law, Cold Storage Law, Commercial Fertilizer Law, and 

 Calcium Carbide Law, were infrequent. A large number of samples were 

 seized and analyzed but practically all of them were found to be up to the 

 legal standard. 



