DoctorYourself.com - Food Law Weakened

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Back-Room Maneuvering +Takes the Teeth Out of the Pure Food Law

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FDA History 03 +
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HISTORY OF A CRIME AGAINST +THE FOOD LAW +
CHAPTER III: RULES AND REGULATIONS +
by Harvey W. Wiley, M.D., the very +first commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), then known +as the “US Bureau of Chemistry.” +

After the enactment of the +food and drugs law the necessary rules and +
regulations for carrying it into effect +were prepared. The law provided that a +
period of six months should elapse and +that the enforcement of the law should +
begin on the first day of January, 1907. +In the preparation of these rules and +
regalations not only were the rights of +the public at large to be conserved, but +
also a due regard for the ethical interests +in the food and drug industries. The +
committee appointed to formulate these +regulations held meetings in Washington, +
New York and Chicago. Extensive advertisements +of these meetings were published +
and all interests involved were invited +to appear and give their views. +
Secretary Wilson named the +Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry as his +
representative on the committee authorized +by the law to draft the rules and +
regulations for the enforcement of the +new act. The representative of the +
Treasury Department was Mr. James L. Gary; +the representative of the Department +
of Commerce and Labor was Mr. S. N. D. +North. The Chief of the Bureau of +
Chemistry was named chairman. My colleagues +entered most enthusiastically into +
the discharge of the duties assigned to +them. First of all they studied the act +
in all of its relations. We sat almost +continuously every day, and always with +
cordial collaboration and mutual sympathy +in the difficult task set before us. +
+

COMMITTEE TO FORMULATE RULES AND REGULATIONS +FOR ENFORCEMENT OF PURE FOOD LAW +
From left to right: Dr. S.N.D. North, +Dept. of Commerce; Dr. H.W. Wiley, Dept. +
of Agriculture; and Mr. James L. Gary, +Treasury Dept. +
   On the completion of our +labors we each undertook to secure the signature of +
our respective secretary. The Secretary +of Agriculture promptly signed our +
report; likewise the Secretary of Commerce +and Labor. Mr. Gary had some little +
difficulty in securing the signature of +the Secretary of the Treasury. He +
thought that the regulations were a little +bit too severe upon some of the food +
industries. Finally, however, he affixed +his signature without any amendment +
whatever to the rules and regulations +as presented. +
   During the hearings accorded +interested parties there appeared before the +
committee practically the same interests +that had been active in opposing the +
enactment of the law. The same arguments +with which the chairman of the board +
had been so long familiar were repeated. +Pleas for recognition of the use of +
borax under the regulations were made +by the fishing interests of Massachusetts; +
the interests engaged in the manufacture +of catsup begged for recognition of +
benzoic acid. The manufacturers of syrups +pleaded for permission to use sulphur +
dioxide and were joined in this plea by +the interests engaged in drying fruits +
in California. +
   An interesting incident occurred +in this connection. It was while the +
committee was sitting in New York that +the advocates for the recognition of +
sulphurous acid and sulphites were heard. +A particularly earnest plea was made +
by the representative of the California +interests, in which we were told that +
failure to use sulphur dioxide would ruin +the dried fruit industry of that +
state. Reporters were constantly present +at these hearings and this story of the +
California interests got into the afternoon +papers of this city. About seven +
o'clock that evening the card of the California +advocate was brought up to my +
room. When he himself appeared he was +considerably embarrassed. Finally he +
stated the object of his visit. He said: +
     "My wife read +an account of my remarks in the afternoon papers. On my +
return to my apartment she chided +me for what I had said. She urged me--almost +
commanded me--to come to see you +in regard to the matter and here I am. My +
Wife does not allow any sulphur +dioxide fruit to come onto our, own table. She +
is so firmly convinced of the undesirability +of this kind of preservative that +
she will not allow me or any of +my family to eat foods preserved with sulphur +
dioxide." +
   This confession on the part +of the representative of the California interests +
I imparted to my colleagues the next morning +before the hearings began. +
   It is hardly necessary to +say that any regulation for carrying a law into +
effect shall not presume to ignore any +function of that law. As it was provided +
in the law that the Bureau of Chemistry +alone was to be the judge of what was an +
adulteration and misbranding any decision +of that kind under the rules and +
regulations would be illegal. +
   The report of the committee +after receiving the signature of the three +
cabinet officers authorized to make the +rules and regulations was finally +
published on Oct. 17,1906. +
FOOD STANDARDS COMMITTEE +
   Quite as important as the +rules and regulations for carrying out the +
provisions of the law was dependable information +respecting the methods of +
judging the quality of foods and drugs +by standards which were legal and +
conclusive in their character. About the +time of the beginning of the +
experimental work for determining the +effect of preservatives and coloring +
matters upon digestion was originated +the idea of establishing under proper +
authority standards of foods. Accordingly +about 1902 a section was added to the +
appropriation bill of the Department of +Agriculture, authorizing the Secretary +
of Agriculture to appoint a committee +of this kind. Similar action was taken by +
the Association of Official Agricultural +Chemists. When this authority was +
secured the following named representatives +of Agricultural Colleges and +
Experiment Stations were selected for +this very difficult and important work: +
Mr. M. A. Scovell, Director of the Agricultural +Station of Kentucky, Mr. H. A. +
Weber, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry +in the College of Agriculture of the +
State University of Ohio, Mr. William +Frear, Assistant Director of the +
Agricultural Experiment Station of Pennsylvania, +Mr. E. H. Jenkins, Director of +
the Agricultural Experiment Station of +Connecticut, at New Haven, and Mr. H. W. +
Wiley, Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry +of the Department of Agriculture, at +
Washington, D. C. +
+

FOOD STANDARDS COMMITTEE +
Left to Right: Prof. M. A. Scovell, Director, +Agricultural Station of Kentucky, +
H. A. Weber, Prof. Agricultural Chemistry, +University of Ohio, Dr. William +
Frear, Assistant Director, Agricultural +Experiment Station of Pennsylvania, Dr. +
E. H. Jenkins, Director, Agricultural +Experiment Station of Connecticut; Dr. H. +
W. Wiley, Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, +Department of Agriculture +

   This committee was enlarged +subsequently by additional members, but the five +
original members remained as its nucleus +and principal actors until the +
Secretary of Agriculture at the instigation +of the Solicitor of that Department +
abolished the committee by having the +authority for its continuance withdrawn +
from the appropriation bill. This, however, +only temporarily prevented its +
activities. Subsequently, after the Chief +of the Bureau resigned, it was +
reorganized and is still at work. The +value of the contribution made by these +
five original members is almost incalculable. +We had frequent meetings lasting +
for days at a time, usually held at the +Department of Agriculture, but in many +
cases we met in other cities where it +was more convenient for interested parties +
to attend. You may have some idea of the +extent of our investigations by seeing +
the official papers piled up on the table +before us, as shown in the +
illustration. The results of the deliberations +of this committee were published +
from time to time by the Department of +Agriculture as official documents. They +
have become the guide and director, not +only of the national food law, but also +
they have been approved and adopted by +the various states. +
   Before this committee also +appeared practically the same interests which on +
the enactment of the food law appeared +before the committee to establish rules +
and regulations to carry the law into +effect. They continually presented their +
claims for indulgences before the Food +Standards Committee. The character of +
this opposition has already been definitely +illustrated. It was not based on +
ethical grounds but on individual and +industrial interests without relation to +
the welfare of the consuming public. +
   The result of all these preliminary +investigations shows the wisdom and +
timeliness of their inauguration. Had +it not been for these fundamental +
investigations the Bureau of Chemistry +would have been totally unprepared to +
have organized the machinery which immediately +went into effect January 1, 1907. +
   It is hardly necessary to +add. that all the conferences, indulgences and +
collaborations with vested interests which +thereafter were resorted to as a +
means of defeating the purpose of the +law have effectively nullified the +
efficiency of the standards originally +established. +
   The Secretaries of the Treasury +and Commerce cannot be blamed for affixing +
their signatures to these documents. They +assumed that these decisions were +
intended to carry the provisions of the +law into effect. The Secretary of +
Agriculture stood in a different position. +He knew the exact purpose of putting +
the decisions of the Remsen Board into +effect. He boldly proclaimed that the +
Board was created to protect the manufacturers. +Leaving his Solicitor to +
interpret the law, he was firmly convinced +that these restrictions were legal +
and binding. He gave himself wholeheartedly +to the effective plan of prohibiting +
the Bureau of Chemistry from exercising +its duty to enforce the law according to +
its letter and spirit. The food and drugs +law became a hopeless paralytic. It +
still breathed but its step was tottering +and its hand shaky. The clot on its +
brain has become encysted. There is no +hope that it will ever be absorbed. Only +
a capital operation will restore it to +health. +
FOOD INSPECTION DECISIONS +
   From June 30, 1906, the date +the Food and Drugs Act became a law, until +
January 1, 1907, when it went into effect, +numerous questions were propounded to +
the Bureau of Chemistry by interested +parties respecting the scope and meaning +
of many of its requirements. The Bureau +of Chemistry to the best of its ability +
interpreted, as the prospective enforcing +unit, the intent of the law. Following +
the usual customs in such cases these +opinions were taken to the Secretary of +
Agriculture for signature. The last Food +Inspection Decision prior to 1907 was +
No. 48, issued Dec. 13, 1906. +
   For a few days after January +1, 1907, the Bureau of Chemistry was +
unrestricted in its first steps to carry +the law into effect. Although all +
matters relating to adulteration or misbranding +were now solely to be +
adjudicated by the Bureau, it was decided +to continue to have these opinions, as +
heretofore, signed by the Secretary. The +first decision under the new regime was +
signed by the Secretary Jan. 8, 1907. +It discussed the time required to render +
decisions. It was prepared because many +persons presenting problems were +
complaining of delay. +
   An open break in the plan +of preparing decisions by the Bureau of Chemistry +
for the Secretary came in the case of +F. I. D. 64, signed. by the Secretary +
March 29, 1907. The question was, "What +is a sardine?" The Bureau prepared a +
decision that only the genuine sardine +prepared on the coasts of Spain, France +
and the Mediterranean Islands was entitled +to that name. The Secretary, due to +
protests from the Maine packers, referred +this problem to the Fish Commission of +
the Department of Commerce. The Fish Commission, +which had no function whatever +
in describing what was a misbranding, +made a decision diametrically opposed to +
that reached by the Bureau. It was as +follows: +
     Commercially +the name sardine has come to signify any small, canned +
clupeoid fish; and the methods +of valuation are so various that it is +
impossible to establish any absolute +standard of quality. It appears to this +
Department that the purposes of +the Pure Food law will be carried out and the +
public fully protected if all sardines +bear labels showing the place where +
produced and the nature of the +ingredients used in preserving or flavoring the +
fish. +
   The Fish Commission, being +in the Department of Commerce, would consider any +
commercial process or practice as of more +importance than the plain provisions +
of the food law looking to the protection +of the public against misbranding. The +
Secretary of Agriculture ignored the protest +of the Bureau of Chemistry to this +
decision, placing a trade practice above +the plain precepts of the law. The +
Secretary of Agriculture said: +
   In harmony with the opinion +of the experts of the Bureau of Fisheries, the +
Department of Agriculture holds that the +term "sardine" may be applied to any +
small fish described above and that the +name "sardine" should be accompanied +
with the name of the country or state +in which the fish are taken and prepared +
and with a statement of the nature of +the ingredients used in preserving or +
flavoring the fish. +
   The Ambassador of France +earnestly indicated to me in a personal interview +
his feeling that the sardine packers in +France would be subjected to a ruinous +
competition by permitting young sprats +and young herrings to be prepared +
according to the manner of the French +sardine and thus enter into direct +
competition therewith. I believe also +the French Ambassador voiced his objection +
to this decision in a diplomatic way with +a protest filed with the Secretary of +
State. Both this protest and the plain +provision of the law that the Bureau of +
Chemistry should decide all cases as to +whether or not the articles were +
adulterated and mi sbranded failed to +have any effect whatever on the Secretary +
of Agriculture. This was the second official +departure of the Secretary of +
Agriculture from the plain provisions +of the law. His whisky decision, which +
Secretary Bonaparte turned down, was the +first. +
THE BOARD OF FOOD AND DRUG INSPECTION +
   Soon after this incident +the Board of Food and Drug Inspection was formed in +
the Secretary's office. Theretofore the +Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry had not +
affixed his official signature to the +Food Inspection Decisions which he had +
prepared and the only signature these +decisions carried was that of the +
Secretary of Agriculture. After the organization +of the Board of Food and Drug +
Inspection the Secretary required that +all the decisions of that Board submitted +
to him for approval should be signed by +at least two members of the Board. The +
first decision thus signed was Food Inspection +Decision No. 69. The three +
members of the Board affixed their signatures +to this and the Secretary of +
Agriculture approved it on May 14, 1907. +
FOOD AND DRUG DECISIONS SIGNED BY THE +SECRETARIES +
AUTHORIZED BY LAW TO MAKE RULES AND REGULATIONS +
   It so happened that when +the decisions of this board were deemed of +
extraordinary importance the practice +arose of having them approved, not by the +
Secretary of Agriculture alone, but by +the three Secretaries authorized by law +
to make rules and regulations for the +enforcement of the act. When these +
Secretaries therefore signed a Food Inspection +Decision it became a rule and +
regulation. The first decision of this +kind thus signed was Food Inspection +
Decision No. 76, concerning dyes, chemicals +and preservatives in foods. +
OPINIONS OF EXPERTS +
   Some time prior to the issuance +of this decision, and in fact long before +
there was any hint that the functions +of the Bureau of Chemistry would be +
usurped illegally, questionnaires had +been sent to three or four hundred +
prominent physiologists and dietitians +in the United States as to their attitude +
in regard to the use of preservatives +and coloring matters in foods. The +
questions propounded and the number of +answers received, both negative and +
affirmative, are as follows: +
     1. Are preservatives, +other than the condimental preservatives, namely, +
sugar, salt, alcohol, vinegar, +spices and wood smoke, injurious to health? +
Affirmative, 218; negative, 33. +
     2. Does the introduction +of any of the preservatives, which you deem +
injurious to health, render the +foods injurious to health? Affirmative, 222; +
negative, 29. +
     3. If a substance +added to food is injurious to health, does it become so +
when a certain quantity is present +only, or is it so in any quantity whatever? +
Affirmative, 169; negative, 79. +
     4. If a substance +is injurious to health, is there any special limit to the +
quantity which may be used which +may be fixed by regulation of our law? +
Affirmative, 68; negative, 183. +
     5. If foods can +be perfectly preserved without the addition of chemical +
preservatives, is their addition +ever advisable? Affirmative, 12; negative, +
247. +
   It is readily seen from this +tabulation that the opinion of physiologists, +
hygienists, health officers and physicians +in the United States to whom these +
questionnaires were sent is overwhemingly +against their use. These opinions of +
distinguished experts were obtained before +the Remsen Board was ever thought of. +
(Food Inspection Decision No. 76, Pages +5 and 6.) +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 87 is signed by the three Secretaries as a rule +
and regulation. It is neither. It was +an opinion that the term "corn sirup" is a +
proper label for the substance commonly +known as glucose. This opinion repealed +
the opinion of the Bureau of Chemistry, +which, after a long argument, was +
endorsed also by the other two members +of the Board of Food and Drug Inspection. +
Thus the three Secretaries authorized +by law to make rules and. regulations +
usurped the function of the Bureau of +Chemistry in regard to what was a proper +
label under the law. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 102 was signed by the three Secretaries, +
legalizing the introduction into the United +States of vegetables greened with +
copper. This was clearly another usurpation +of the functions of the Bureau of +
Chemistry. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 104 legalized the use of benzoate of soda and +
benzoic acid and was signed by the three +Secretaries authorized by law to make +
rules and regulations for carrying out +its purposes. It was directly contrary to +
the decision of the Bureau of Chemistry +that these preservatives were illegal +
under the Act. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 107 is the opinion of the Attorney-General that +
the Referee Board was appointed in a perfectly +legal way. In making this +
decision Mr. Wickersham vetoed the decision +of Assistant Attorney-General +
Fowler, holding that the Referee Board +was illegally appointed. He adopted in +
the main the decision of Solicitor George +P. McCabe that it was legally +
appointed. The Referee Board usurped many +of the specific functions of the +
Bureau of Chemistry, committted to that +Bureau by express wording of the Act. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 113 as to the proper labeling of whisky and its +
mixtures, a function specifically confided +to the Bureau of Chemistry by law, +
was signed by the three Secretaries, authorized +to make rules and regulations +
for carrying the law into effect. It repealed +the decision of the former +
Attorney-General, Mr. Charles J. Bonaparte, +and all previous Food Inspection +
Decisions relating thereto. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No, 118 is an extension of No. 113, just described, +
and of the same character. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 127 is a decision of Attorney-General Wickersham +
in regard to the proper labeling of whiskies +sold under distinctive names. It is +
also a complete reversal of the decisions +in regard to proper labeling reached +
by the Bureau of Chemistry, and confirmed +by many decisions of federal courts. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 135, in regard to saccharin, is a direct +
assumption of authority granted specifically +by law to the Bureau of Chemistry. +
It was signed by the three Secretaries +authorized to make the rules and +
regulations for carrying the law into +effect. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 138 refers to the same subject and is signed by +
the three Secretaries. +
FAREWELL TO McCABE AND DUNLAP +
   On the publication of the +report of the findings of the Moss Committee Mr. +
George P. McCabe retired from the Board +of Food and Drug Inspection, and Mr. F. +
L. Dunlap was given an indefinite leave +of absence. Mr. R. E. Doolittle was +
appointed in Mr. McCabe's place. +
   Food Inspection Decision +No. 140, issued Feb. 12, 1912, was signed by H. W. +
Wiley and R. E. Doolittle and approved +by James Wilson. +
   On Feb. 17, 1912, Mr. Dunlap, +having returned from his vacation, signed +
together with H. W. Wiley and R. E. Doolittle +Food Inspection Decision No. 141. +
   On Feb. 29, 1912, Food Inspection +Decision No. 142, in regard to the use of +
saccharin in foods, was signed by two +of the Secretaries, namely James Wilson +
and Charles Nagel, but the Secretary of +the Treasury dissented. This was a +
function specifically committed to the +Bureau of Chemistry by the law. +
   The last Food Inspection +Decision which I signed was No. 141 as to the proper +
labeling of maraschino cherries. Mr. R. +E. Doolittle was appointed as acting +
chief and took my place as Chairman of +the Board of Food and Drug Inspection for +
the remainder of its hectic career. +
   Mr. F. L. Dunlap resigned +from his position as Associate-Chemist at the time +
of the inauguration of President Wilson +in his first term as President. Dr. Carl +
L. Alsberg, who had been appointed Chief +of the Bureau of Chemistry in the place +
of R. E. Doolittle, became by that office +the Chairman of the Food Inspection +
Board and became associated with Dr. W. +D. Bigelow and Dr. A. S. Mitchell as the +
new Board of Food and Drug Inspection, +the first decision of which was approved +
by James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, +Jan. 24, 1913. +
RESIGNATION +
   On March 15, 1912, having +been convinced that it was useless for me to remain +
any longer as a Chief of the Bureau which +had been deprived of practically all +
its authority under the law, I resigned. +
   Letter of Resignation of +Dr. H. W. Wiley March 15, 1912. +
     In retiring from +this position after so many years of service it seems +
befitting that I should state briefly +the causes which have led me to this +
step. Without going into detail +respecting these causes, I desire to say that +
the fundamental one is that I believe +I can find opportunity for better and +
more effective service to the work +which is nearest my heart, namely, the pure +
food and drug propaganda, as a +private citizen than I could any longer find in +
my late position. +
     In this action +I do not intend in any way to reflect upon the position +
which has been taken by my superior +officers in regard to the same problems. I +
accord to them the same right to +act in accordance with their convictions +
which I claim for myself. +
     After a quarter +of a century of constant discussion and effort the bill +
regulating interstate and foreign +commerce in foods and drugs was enacted into +
law. Almost from the very beginning +of the enforcement of this act I +
discovered that my point of view +in regard to it was fundamentally different +
from that of my superiors in office. +For nearly six years there has been a +
growing feeling in my mind that +these differences were irreconcilable and I +
have been conscious of an official +environment which has been essentially +
inhospitable. I saw the fundamental +principles of the food and drugs act, as +
they appeared to me, one by one +paralyzed or discredited. +
     It was the plain +provision of the act, and was fully understood at the time +
of the enactment, as stated in +the law itself, that the Bureau of Chemistry +
was to examine all samples of suspected +foods and drugs to determine whether +
they were adulterated or misbranded +and that if this examination disclosed +
such facts the matter was to be +referred to the courts for decision. Interest +
after interest, engaged in what +the Bureau of Chemistry found to be the +
manufacture of misbranded or adulterated +foods and drugs, made an appeal to +
escape appearing in court to defend +their prac tices. Various methods were +
employed to secure this end, many +of which were successful. +
     One by one I +found that the activities pertaining to the Bureau of +
Chemistry were restricted and various +forms of manipulated food products were +
withdrawn from its consideration +and referred either to other bodies not +
contemplated by the law or directly +relieved from further control. A few of +
the instances of this kind are +well known. Among these may be mentioned the +
manufacture of so-called whisky +from alcohol, colors and flavors; the addition +
to food products of benzoic acid +and its salts, of sulphurous acid and its +
salts, of sulphate of copper, of +saccharin and of alum; the manufacture of +
so-called wines from pomace, chemicals +and colors; the floating of oysters +
often in polluted waters for the +purpose of making them look fatter and larger +
than they really are for the purposes +of sale; the selling of mouldy, +
fermented, decomposed and misbranded +grains; the offering to the people of +
glucose under the name of "corn +sirup," thus taking a name which rightfully +
belongs to another product made +directly from Indian corn stalks. +
     The official +toleration and validation of such practices have restricted +
the activities of the Bureau of +Chemistry to a very narrow field. As a result +
of these restrictions I have been +instructed to refrain from stating in any +
public way my own opinion regarding +the effect of these substances upon +
health, and this restriction has +interfered with my academic freedom of speech +
on matters relating directly to +the public welfare. +
     These restrictions +culminated in the summer of 1911 with false charges of +
misconduct made against me by my +colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, +
which had it not been for the prompt +interference on the part of the President +
of the United States (William Howard +Taft), to whom I am profoundly grateful, +
would have led to my forcible separation +from the public service. After the +
President of the United States +and a committee of Congress, as a result of a +
searching investigation, had completely +exonerated me from any wrong doing in +
this matter, I naturally expected +that those who had made these false charges +
against me would no longer be continued +in a position which would make a +
repetition of such an action possible. +The event, however, has not sustained +
my expectations in this matter. +I was still left to come into daily contact +
with men who secretly plotted my +destruction. +
     I am now convinced +that the freedom which belongs to every private American +
citizen can be used by me more +fruitfully in rallying public opinion to the +
support of the cause of pure food +and drugs than could the limited activity +
left to me in the position which +I have just vacated. I propose to devote the +
remainder of my life, with such +ability as I have at my command and with such +
opportunities as may arise, to +the promotion of the principles of civic +
righteousness and industrial integrity +which underlie the food and drugs act, +
in the hope that it may be administered +in the interest of the people at +
large, instead of that of a comparatively +few mercenary manufacturers and +
dealers. +
     This hope is +heightened by my belief that a great majority of manufacturers +
and dealers in foods and drugs +are heartily in sympathy with the views I have +
held, and that these views are +endorsed by an overwhelming majority of the +
press and of the citizens of the +country. +
     In severing my +official relations with the Secretary of Agriculture I take +
this opportunity of thanking him +for the personal kindness and regard which he +
has shown me during his long connection +with the department. +
   In a supplemental statement +to Secretary Wilson Dr. Wiley says: +
     In transferring +the management of the Bureau of Chemistry to other hands I +
desire to direct your attention +to a few matters in which I think you will be +
interested. +
     I have always +been a believer in the civil service law and have endeavored +
to carry out both its spirit and +its letter. For this reason I have strongly +
opposed, except in cases of extreme +necessity, the appointment of any person +
in the bureau not secured from +the civil service register. +
     It is also a +matter of extreme gratification to me that in the twenty-nine +
years which I have been chief of +this bureau to my knowledge there has never +
been a cent wrongfully expended +and no officer or employe of this bureau has +
ever been accused of misappropriation +of public funds. +
   Those whose memories carry +them back As far as 1912 will recall that the +
resignation of the Chief of the Bureau +of Chemistry created quite a commotion. +
Not only were the newspapers and magazines +full of references thereto, but the +
caricaturists took up the fight. One of +these cartoons in the Rocky Mountain +
News depicted Uncle Sam bidding adieu +to the departing Chief of the Bureau. +
Another striking cartoon depicted Uncle +Sam measuring the shoes of the departed +
chief. Among the hundreds of editorial +comments perhaps the most interesting are +
those made also by the Rocky Mountain +News., under the caption "The Borgias of +
Business." +
     "If the people +exhibited the same persistence in looking after their +
interests that Illegitimate Business +displays in looking after its interests, +
the things of which we complain +would soon be brought to an end, and +
prosperity, like a tidal wave, +would flood the land. +
     "For twenty years +at least, the food poisoners of the country have waged +
warfare on Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, +and since the passage of the Pure Food act in +
1906 they have trebled efforts +to have him discharged. These Borgias of +
business have won, for the circumstances +attending Dr. Wiley's recent +
resignation make it, in practical +effect, a dismissal. +
     "Dr. Wiley resigned +because the fundamental principles of the Pure Food law +
have been strangled; because he +has been powerless to punish the manufacturers +
of misbranded and adulterated drugs +and foods; and because the powers of his +
position had been nullified by +executive orders. * * * +
     "Dr. Wiley was +only head of the Bureau of Chemistry, but there is every +
reason to believe that President +Taft will find that Dr. Wiley gave the +
position an importance out of all +proportion to its standing." +
--From the Rocky Mountain News, +March 21, 1912. +

+
Dr. Andrew Saul +

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