OFFICIAL INSPECTION 22. 5^ 



the total goods to considerable extent and, while the goods are 

 all supposed to be well seeded, as a matter of fact, some of the 

 best in appearance and finest in flavor contain more seeds than 

 some of the more undesirable samples. 



In the case of the dirty and wormy goods, hearings were 

 appointed and the cases investigated. Not all of the cases are 

 finished, but it is probable that no prosecutions will be made. 

 The desire was to call the attention of the trade to the need of 

 much greater care in the handling and the branding of these 

 goods. 



It seems that the currants are practically all imported from 

 Greece where they are dried by spreading the fruit upon the 

 sand. The common cask currants are spread upon the ground 

 for curing and when they are imported are full of grit, very 

 unclean and unsightly. These are cleaned by washing with 

 cold water, rubbing with revolving brushes and passing over 

 sieves. By means of the sieves the sand and the small stems 

 are more or less completely separated. The larger stems and 

 the larger stones are removed by hand. There is another kind 

 of currants that are imported which have gone through a dry 

 cleaning process, so-called, in Greece. These are higher priced 

 and are of much better appearance. 



Under the present conditions it is perhaps too much to ask 

 that currants be much better than the best which are now found 

 in the market. There is, however, a right to demand a correc- 

 tion in labeling. Many of the currants as put up in packages 

 undoubtedly have been put through a cleaning process and in 

 that sense are cleaned. They are not clean in the real meaning 

 of the word. Such expressions as "Ready for immediate use" 

 are also misleading and unlawful on many of these goods. 



The investigations which resulted from the hearings have 

 shown a disposition on the part of the trade to conform to the 

 requirements of the law, to clean up the goods as far as pos- 

 sible and to remove objectionable statements from the pack- 

 ages, and probably no prosecutions will result from this first 

 inquiry. The attention of the trade, lidtli wholesale ami retail, 

 however, is earnestly called to this subject and they are warned 

 tliat the law will be enforced on this class of eoods. 



