All manufacturers and dealers have copies of the law and regulations or can secure them and study them carefully. Each manufacturer and dealer should conduct his business as nearly as possible in harmony with the law as he interprets it. When each particular problem involved reaches a solution in this Department, it is hoped it will be found that the manufacturers and jobbers have come also to a similar decision in the matter. Public notice will be given of each decision as it is issued, that the manufacturers and dealers may be informed and be able at once to place themselves in line with the decisions of the Department. In this way it is hoped that all injustice will be avoided in the execution of the law and everyone be given an opportunity to put himself right and to have due notice of decisions which may be made.

The Department will use every endeavor to reach prompt decisions, but must take time to collect the facts and subject them to a proper study; otherwise the decisions would not have the value which should attach to them in important matters affecting the execution of the law.

James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.

Washington, D. C., January 8, 1907.

(F. I. D. 50.)
IMITATION COFFEE.

A manufacturer writes as follows:

We beg to ask for your opinion as regards the hyphenated word “Cereal-Coffee,” and whether or not we are entitled to its use for a cereal substitute for coffee.... In our opinion the term “Cereal-Coffee” would come under the so-called trade-name and distinctive name.

It is held that since the product mentioned is not a coffee it can not properly be called by the term mentioned. [Regulation 20] (d) provides that a distinctive name shall give no false indication of character. The use of the name “cereal-coffee” might be taken to indicate that the product is coffee or has the properties of coffee, and hence the use of this term does not comply with the definition of distinctive name. Even if the product consist in part of coffee, the name would not be correct. It is suggested that products of this nature be designated as “imitation coffee,” as provided in [Regulation 21] (f). In such case the word “imitation” should be in uniform type, on uniform background, and should be given equal prominence with the word “coffee.”

James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.

Washington, D. C., January 18, 1907.