PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 145 



of Chemistry of the Department of Agriculture. He declared in his 

 contention that the use of benzoate of soda in the curing of such prod- 

 ucts as peas, cherries, tomato catsup and others, was absolutely wrong; 

 that the products manufactured by the use of it were poisonous, and 

 thai it lay in his power to prohibit it. He likewise declared that the 

 use of sulphur in the curing of fruits in this State was not necessary, 

 thai fruit so cured was not wholesome, and its use should be prohibited 

 and ivas prohibited by the ruling or decision No. 76. No argument, no 

 appeal, seemed to reach Dr. Wiley. He had taken his position and 

 openly and persistently declared that it was the fight of his life and he 

 would maintain that position. I therefore abandoned further effort 

 with Dr. Wiley and immediately placed myself in position to confer with 

 the Referee Board, and learn from them the policy which was to be 

 pursued. I returned to California confident that the fruit interest of 

 the State was not to suffer, at least, for a period of twelve months. I 

 took occasion to issue a bulletin immediately on my return to assure 

 fruit producers, fruit dryers and distributors of their freedom from 

 any action on the part of the Federal Government so far as the crop 

 for 1908 was concerned. I have the pleasure of knowing that Secretary 

 Wilson, who gave this assurance, kept his word fully and that no inter- 

 ference was had on the part of the government in the distribution or 

 curing of these foods. 



When the matter which I have referred to was passed first to the 

 Referee Board it was decided by them that the use of benzoate of soda — 

 being thought to be of the greatest danger — would be first to be con- 

 sidered by them. The five laboratories represented by these scientific 

 and eminent men were, therefore, put to use at once, separately, so that 

 each might make his own examination and determination without refer- 

 ence to the others; for six months these examinations were carried for- 

 ward by the members of this Referee Board. 



You will understand that some anxiety has been felt on the part of 

 all of us and particularly by these who have been closely identified 

 witli this movement since the beginning. 



When the Referee Board visited California in the early part of the 

 curing season of 1909 it was not known that the finding had been made 

 with reference to the use of benzoate of soda, but it was supposed when 

 the report was made it would be published as a whole and the recom- 

 mendations of the board would be made on the full finding. But when 

 the board w r as here it was disclosed that the examination and determi- 

 nation had been made with reference to benzoate of soda and that report 

 was adverse to the position taken and held by Dr. Wiley. Dr. Wiley, 

 knowing this, took every method known to him to circumvent and to dis- 

 credit the Referee Board, so that its report would not have the effect 

 it was thought it would have. At the National Food and Dairy Con- 

 gress, held in Marquette, Michigan, late in 1908, a bill was prepared 

 and introduced to the congress there and forced through, which it was 

 sought to have passed by the legislature of every state in the Union, 

 and that bill was of such nature and character and kind as to practi- 

 cally prohibit the use of these chemicals in the curing of our goods. It 

 was necessary, therefore, to circumvent Dr. Wiley somewhat in this 

 regard, and the matter was taken up, after procuring a copy of the 



10 — FGC 



