MARY ANN'S MOAN.

NZ Truth, Issue 110, 27 July 1907, Page 4

MARY ANN'S MOAN.

When the Government's Pure Foods Bill was before the House of Reps. Mary-Ann Ait-ken had the unspeakable gall to get up, on behalf of vested interests, and defend the adulteration m cofiice, and condensed milk, and fo say a good word for the species of fraud known as lightweight m bread. It is a singular thing that it is usually a pious person who sticks up for this form of robbery of the people. Mary Ann remarked that lots of people preferred chicory m coflee, to the pure thing, and certain unspecified physicians believed that coffee taken to excess was more harmful than a drunk on chicory. The fat man's advocate did not explain that water, when drunk to excess, was also very harmful. Condensed milk made of skim milk, with a little sugar added, was likewise very beneficial, under certain circumstances. He didn't mention what the circumstances were. .It is probably good for cleaning ftan shoes. The number of youngsters that have been starved to death on this form of sustenance, the number of inquests on their bodies, and the riders of the various juries, ought to be gathered together m a statistical ,-tahle and placed before Mary Ann, who hasn't got any children of his own— or hasn't ,so far as "Truth" knows— and he might then alter his opinion concerning the beneficial qualities of this kid-killing medium. His most astounding remarks were made on his championship of short-weight bread. Plc pointed out •■ that heavy bread was most undesirable from a health point of view, ancl that most people preferred light bread. Of course they do, but when they pay for fourpennorth of light bread, they expect four-pennorth and not 3-J.d worth. The fat member fbr Wellington became quite pathetic m his opposition to a bill which discourages ehemic.nl tomato sauce and jam made Iron, narsnips. and other horrors, and Mi* Fowlds explained to him that there was nothing to prevent hi m' selling thc atrocities if he wanted to, so lonn: as he mentioned on the label that the tin or bottle, or package contained sudden death, and specified the pa*ticiiln,r sort of poison -used, and as remarked casually by the tame poet on "Truth's" staff:-

There is a fiction universal that the light-weight bread we eat Is a, fraud u;:cn the worker and the poor. Make, with dough enough for ten good loaves, a dozen ditto neat And you cop the extra thirteen pence, for sure. But this is ancient doctrine that is now, alas, impeached By the pic.us prigs who plunder parsons pale, For, if the staff of life is weighty, as Aitkc-n sadly screeched, Each crust is but another, coffin ! nail. t • "Make it light," is the suggestion, Or you'll harbor indigestion ; What matter if you want a larger loat Just be thankful, sir, and seofi it, Mary Ann must have bis profit; Fools greater breathe than Kipling's mudic-d oaf.

Some powder deleterious m the coffee grounds is thrown To urc-y upon the public purse and health, And. thus adulterated, it is widely bought and known As "best there is nrocurable for .wealth."

Likewise, the skim milk worthless that, denuded of its fat. With a little sugar added, is preserved. And tomato sauce, of chemicals composed, is nurch a sed at Thc- shops where vested interests | are conserved. | Sing oh !. for darksome chicory ; j Pure conec makes us shickery, i That's why it is condemned b3 r Mary Ann. Pure tucker is, we recognise, A blow to private enterprise ; Yes, that's ihe reason, ain't it, Mary Ann.