PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 147 



assault made on gentlemen representing a board of standing, as these 

 gentlemen stood, as was made against them in that congress. Secretary 

 Wilson, with some of his staff, including the solicitor of the depart- 

 ment, were present during this conference, and Secretary Wilson said 

 to me, when I had become successful in getting my credentials acknowl- 

 edged, that he had never seen such gross methods resorted to as he had 

 seen in that congress. This is, of course, a matter of history. 



I now come to the point of the present status of the sulphur ques- 

 tion. It is in the hands of this Referee Board, but I feel the greatest 

 confidence that the finding of that board and its recommendations to 

 the department will be in favor of sustaining the contention, that the 

 use of sulphur in the curing of fruits is harmless. In the case of benzoate 

 of soda, it was decided by the board that not only the quantity which 

 has been in common use was harmless, but that it was a harmless 

 product in much greater quantity. In other words, it was declared 

 that there was no danger in the use of benzoate of soda in curing of 

 fruit and meat products as now employed, and they recommended that 

 it be continued. Instead of fixing a unit of thirty-five one-thousandths 

 of one per cent of sulphur dioxid, as was fixed under decision 76, I 

 am assured by the members of the Referee Board individually that 

 there is no apparent injurious effect from sulphur dioxid on the 

 human system and that a larger quantity than thirty-five one-thou- 

 sandths of one per cent will probably be permissible. I am not saying 

 this for publication. I say it on my own responsibility, but to assure 

 the fruit growers of California that they are in pretty safe hands and 

 need give themselves no immediate alarm. 



I want to say further that I am given to understand by the Referee 

 Board that whatever their finding may be, it will not be made until 

 about the middle of the year 1910, and if it is adverse to our interests 

 that no hasty action will be taken; that it will not be made operative 

 during the curing and marketing and distribution of the fruit products 

 of this State grown and cured in 1910. Therefore, you have a year 

 before you any way, and if the finding is not altogether to our satis- 

 faction, I feel justified in saying that a unit of sulphur dioxid will be 

 fixed that will enable us to go on as Ave have done heretofore without 

 danger of interference on the part of the Federal Government. 



I presume, Mr. Chairman and ladies and gentlemen, I would act the 

 part of discretion if I stopped here, but I am so impressed with the 

 determination of Dr. Wiley to carry his point, even to the destruction 

 of our interest in California, that I do not hesitate to place myself 

 on record as to what I think should be done with that officer. He is 

 appointed by the President of the United States. He holds his position 

 in the Agricultural Department under this appointment and is answer- 

 able really to no one except the National Food Inspection Commission 

 and to the President of the United States. While Honorable James 

 Wilson, the Secretary of Agriculture, is our friend and is ready to do, 

 I believe, anything within reason to protect us and help us, he is 

 powerless to control Dr. Wiley, the chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, 

 or to remove him in the case of his not doing as he desires. Therefore, 

 I say in our own interest, I deem it to be a proper and right thing to 

 create, so far as we can consistently, a sentiment against Dr. Wiley, 

 under the impression that any man as vindictive as he is, as determined 



