Corporate Name of Society.

CONCLUSION.

Pennsylvania with her diversified branch of agriculture demands more special instruction than in most localities of the United States since we grow most of the cereals and legumes, the greatest variety of fruits, animals breeding in all the leading strains is carried on, poultry for eggs and for market is rapidly emerging from a side line to a leading industry. The outlook for the future is most encouraging. The demand for accurate instruction in every direction is increasing and can only be met by appropriations in some measure commensurate to the broadening field of our operations.

Too much credit can not be given to our efficient County Chairmen and Local Managers and faithful labors of the State Instructors, which brought the degree of success that attended the past year's Institutes.

Very respectfully,

A. L. MARTIN, Director of Institutes.

REPORT OF THE DAIRY AND FOOD
COMMISSIONER.

HARRISBURG, PA., December 31, 1907.

Hon. N. B. Critchfield, Secretary of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pa.

Dear Sir: In compliance with law, I have the honor to herewith. respectfully submit a report of the work of the Dairy and Food Division of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for the period intervening from April 16th., 1907, the date of my commission as Dairy and Food Commissioner of this Commonwealth, to December 31st., 1907, inclusive.

The duties of the office have been performed with a deep sense of its obligations and responsibilities and with an earnest purpose to serve the people fairly and impartially, to the end that the greatest possible amount of good might be accomplished for the benefit of the people of Pennsylvania.

WHAT DUTIES THE BUREAU OWES TO THE COMMONWEALTH. The health, the morals and the culture of the people are the foundation of society; the State promotes them under its police power which is necessarily a permanent power in any government. This declaration is founded upon the judicial opinion expressed in the Quo-Warranto proceedings instituted to test the constitutionality of the law creating the office of Dairy and Food Commissioner of Pennsylvania.

It is evident that in the suppression of food adulteration, it stands as true as in surgery, that "the merciful doctor makes the wound foul." As a logical sequence, the dairy and food authorities are exercising special alertness in the supervision of their districts, and these special agents are trying to do all that is possible to repress violations of the dairy and food laws. The main objects to be attained are first, to prevent, and secondly to repress such wrong-doing, and for these purposes they are placed in full charge and held to an accountability for the conditions within their local districts.

While these.special agents of the Bureau have met many difficulties in the performance of their duty, earnest thanks are due to each and all of them for arduous work conscientiously performed

HOW INCUMBENT DUTIES ARE PERFORMED.

In the conduct of the business of the Bureau, the following administrative policies are pursued:

The education of those specially interested in the manufacture and sale of food and dairy products.

Making public the violations of the laws placed under its administration for enforcement.

Instituting proper legal proceedings against all who are found to be violating the laws.

The correspondence of the Bureau shows conclusively that a large proportion of the public desire to be law-abiding citizens, and that there is a general willingness to secure a compliance with the laws. The Bureau is always willing to furnish information to correspondents whenever it can be supplied without prejudicing its own interests. Just as soon as the public realized that the laws were being enforced vigorously, justly and honestly, the laws were respected and the people protected from fraud.

The general knowledge of these facts has resulted in a successful termination of prosecutions. Courts and magistrates can bear testimony to the fact that whenever a case is instituted, nothing is left undone to prove that it is a righteous and proper cause for legal redress; consequently, the very small percentage of failures to secure a conviction.

MANUFACTURERS, JOBBERS AND DEALERS VIGILANT.

Never in the history of any State have merchants taken a more active and earnest part in proposed pure food legislation than that which was witnessed at Harrisburg last Winter when the Tustin Pure Food bill was pending. Hundreds of the leading jobbers as well as manufacturers visited the State Capitol, to appear before the several committees to present their views and to convince those in authority that they were favorable to banishing impure and harmful goods from the markets of Pennsylvania.

These vigilant merchants came from necessity and self-interest, but they stood together as a unit in demanding legislation that was fair and equitable to all legitimate business interests. Their protective movement resulted successfully, although there are those who are of the opinion that some of the provisions o the present law may at a later period be declared unconstitutional. Good and effective laws are of the greatest importance to the public; they should not be formulated hurriedly nor should they be the work of professional sensationalists. It is the individual who has a ripe business experience, who stands well in his community and who has due regard for proper and legal principles whose advice will be helpful in framing proper legislation.

We cannot do otherwise than commend these representatives of the various trade interest for their zeal and activity displayed, which again verified the adage that "in unity there is strength."

CONTINUED WARFARE AGAINST ADULTERATION.

That the criminal practice of polluting and adulterating the food used by the American people had assumed such gigantic proportions as to embrace almost 90 per cent. of the food, drinks and drugs used in the United States, is an uncontradicted fact. Public analysts will bear out the veracity of the statement. This same condition prevailed in Pennsylvania, hence the drastic legislation that was passed in 1895. The Congressional action only followed after the work that was done in this State had borne fruit, as it was here that the public learned more fully than anywhere else that there were hordes of unscrupulous men who grew rich at the expense of the lives of children and invalids in particular, and the health of the whole community in general.

The chemists' reports filed in the Dairy and Food Division tell stories that thrill the reader. The deception practiced was more far-reaching than is usually supposed. An increasing mortality of children resulted from giving them milk containing formaldehyde, which is the principal article used in embalming the dead. Candy contained terra-alba, chrome-yellow, shellac, coal-tar dyes, sulphites, etc. Alum and sulphate of copper were found in bread, while pepper contained much foreign matter. Maple sugar and maple syrup were misnomers, glucose and cane sugar prédominating in some brands. A blend of sulphuric and hydro-chloric acid was sold as vinegar. Acids were painted on ham and other meat to give them the appearance of smoked meat, and sulphites were employed to "revive" the spoiled and odorous Hamburg steak.

To-day there is a marked dimunition of these evil practices, and the leading and best grocers realize that the day of adulterations and impositions has passed; that it is worth while to cater to the best trade, and to supply all patrons with a pure quality of food necessities; that in return for their time and knowledge, they are entitled to a good reputation for honesty, a trait that will help to build up a permanent trade and a good name.

It is a gratifying fact that the percentage of adulterations in dairy and food products as compared with a long series of former years, shows a marked change in favor of pure food. To the honest and conscientious business man, much of the credit is due for the new and better era.

OFFICE OF DAIRY AND FOOD COMMISSIONER IS CONSTITUTIONAL. In the recent Quo-Warranto preceedings instituted in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to test the constitutionality of the laws creating the office of Dairy and Food Commissioner of this Commonwealth, and to determine his right to perform certain duties, an opinion was delivered that is a signal triumph for the friends of the growing pure food movement.

The Supreme Court affirmed the legality of the laws. The Commissioner practically admitted that he was having analytical examinations of food-products made by reputable chemists, and that upon their recommendation, when articles of food were adulterated, misbranded or fraudulent, legal proceedings were brought against those selling such illegal goods, in order that their sale might be stopped and the health of the public safeguarded. This was done under the police powers that are vested in the several acts of Assembly creating the office, as well as defining the duties of the Commissioner. As stated in a previous report, ex-Commissioner Warren had courted the aforesaid proceedings, in order to still more clearly establish his own rights, as well as to add strength to his official work. The decision of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania was a notable decree in favor of better health and less fraud. This decision is along right lines. There is absolute need for protection from food