64 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE EXTENT OF ADULTERATION. 



Before taking up the work of the Dairy and Food Commission, I wish 

 to call your attention to the extent to which the adulteration of food is 

 practised. A reliable conservative estimate of the extent of adulteration 

 is fifteen per cent. Upon this basis the people of Michigan spend, annu- 

 ally, over thirty million dollars for adulteration. It has also been esti- 

 mated that the laboring classes spend sixty per cent of their total earn- 

 ings for food. Thus it will be seen that the laboring classes spend 

 nearly one-tenth of their total earnings for adulteration. This is quite 

 a "leak" in the bucket of the laboring man. 



Up to the present time the work of the Department has been largely 

 educational. The law is broad and sweeping, and includes all articles 

 intended to be used for food or drink. It was evident at the start that 

 an understanding must be had with all manufacturers intending to sell 

 goods in the State. The Commissioner appreciated the fact that the 

 manufacturer is the fountain head and source of all evil, and that unless 

 he could get control of the goods shipped into the State, he would have 

 endless trouble in preventing the sale of adulterated goods. 



The object of the law is protection to the consumer, and where this can 

 be accomplished without prosecution we believe it should be done. 



Manufacturers have shown, not only a willingness to obey the law, but 

 have taken great pains to become familiar with its requirements; and 

 have been to considerable expense in sending representatives to confer 

 with the Commissioner in order that an understanding might be had in 

 regard to doubtful points. Many of these firms at the time had goods in 

 the State, either adulterated or improperly labeled. In the former case 

 the goods were allowed to be withdrawn, while in the latter proper labels 

 were substituted for the old ones. 



It is evident that if suits were brought against all retailers having 

 adulterated goods in stock, there is hardly a retail grocer in the State 

 who would escape prosecution. This law, when thoroughly enforced, 

 will simply revolutionize trade, and hence can not be applied at once 

 without doing great injustice to those who are in no wise responsible for 

 the conditions which made it necessary to enact the law. 



THE METHODS UNDER THE PRESENT LAW. 



Since the first of September three Inspectors Have been busy instruct- 

 ing manufacturers, jobbers, and retailers in the State in regard to the 

 requirements of the law, so that, when prosecutions are begun, it can be 

 against those who have wilfully neglected to conform to its requirements. 

 For example, a sample of mustard procured at a retail store and manu- 

 factured by ^ firm outside of the State, is analyzed and found to contain 

 fifty per cent of wheat flour. There are, evidently, two modes of pro- 

 cedure open to the Department; one, the retailer is liable and could be 

 prosecuted. There are perhaps a thousand other grocers in the State 

 selling the same brand of goods, all equally liable with the first for selling 

 adulterated goods. Prosecution of the one found would not aid the 

 Department in detecting the thousand others who had them. 



