14794. Adulteration of oysters.    U. S. v. Joseph li. steady (J. Ii. Moreau
& Co.).    Plea  of guilty.    Fine, 820 and costs.     (F. & D.  No.  19645. 
I. S. Nos. 15615-v, 15616-v.)
On June 18, 1925, the United States attorney for the District of Maryland, 
acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the District 
Court of the United States for said district an information against Joseph 
L. Merely, trading as J. L. Merely & Co., Baltimore, Md., alleging ship-
ment by said defendant, in violation of the food and drugs act, on or about 
February 4, 1925, from the State of Maryland into the State of Pennsylvania, 
of quantities of oysters which were adulterated.
Adulteration of the article was alleged in the information for the reason 
that water had been substituted in part for oysters, for the further reason 
that an excessive amount of water had "been mixed and packed with the said 
article so as to reduce and lower and injuriously affect its quality and strength, 
and for the further reason that a valuable constituent, oyster solids, had been 
in part abstracted therefrom.
On November 5, 1926, a plea of guilty to the information was entered, and 
the court imposed a fine of $20 and costs.
W. M. JAEDINE, Secretary of Agriculture.