December 6, 1937
Action Taken After Petitions Are Circulated In Churches Against Alcohol In Frozen Refreshment
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The El Paso Ministerial Council today passed a motion authorizing the appointment of a committee to make a thorough investigation of the alleged sale of ice cream with alcoholic content in El Paso, Rev. Arthur Hyde, chairman of publicity, announced. Rev. Dubose Murphy is chairman.
The Ministerial Council executive board heard a protest circulation of a petition in El Paso from Mrs. R. J. Parker, WCTU president, who urged action from the council.
The action of the council followed leading churches yesterday by advocates of prohibition protesting the manufacture and sale, especially in places frequented by children, of ice cream with brandy or other alcoholic content or flavor.
Four hundred names were signed at the First Baptist Church following the 11 a. m. services when Rev. I. L. Yearby spoke on the harm of rum and brandy flavored ice cream and candies for young people.
Petitions were signed at the Immanuel Baptist Church and the Asbury Methodist Church. Petitions were circulated at Trinity Methodist Church.
Rev. Yearby and Rev. Roy S. Hollomon. pastors of the First Baptist and Immanuel Baptist Churches, voiced their objections to rum or brandy flavored ice creams as inciting children and young people to a taste for liquor.
“We protest against the sale in El Paso,” Dr. Yearby said.
Fears Taste Will Grow
“We know the youth of today has grown up without a taste for liquor,” Mt. Hollomon said. “The sale of rum flavored ice cream is a means of education them to like it.”
Rev. W.H. Mansfield, pastor of Trinity Methodist Church, said today that although he permitted a committee of women temperance advocates to circulated the petition he did not speak on the subject from his pulpit.
“I made a private investigation,” he said. “And two large ice cream companies here promised me that they would remove the rum-flavored product from their market and not manufacture any more. Therefore, I saw no reason for taking any further action.”
“The town has been thoroughly aroused,” Mrs. Parker said today. “But if the local companies have promised not to sell any more of this product, we are satisfied.”
Sold For Year
Mrs. Parker said that she asked the council to help in the “cause of righteousness.”
Price’s Dairy officials and officials of the Borden Co. today said they are withdrawing the names for their holiday ice creams which are found objectionable by prohibition advocates. They said they told Mr. Mansfield they were withdrawing the names.
“We have no apologies to make for our product,” said Bob Price of Price’s dairy. “The alcoholic content in these holiday ice creams is one-twenty-sixth of one percent by volume and one-thirteenth of one per cent by weight. It is perfectly legal and there is nothing harmful in the ice cream. We have been selling them for many years.”
Price said buttermilk has an alcoholic content of three-fourths of one per cent by weight and volume.
Borden Co. officials today said they are withdrawing the names of the ice creams found objectionable.
So Has Vinegar
“We use a rum flavor in our holiday ice creams in small quantities,” said W. A. Smith, company manager. “There is no test to make because the alcoholic content is so small it would be futile. Any appreciable amount of alcohol in ice cream would curdle it and spoil it. You can’t freeze it in eggnog nor bake it in a fruit cake. It disappears when you attempt to.”
Smith emphasized that vinegar has alcoholic content as well as buttermilk.
“The saliva in your mouth has alcoholic content,” he said.
No School Sale
Mrs. Mary Dewey, El Paso High School cafeteria manager, today said that she does not sell rum flavored ice creams or candy bars with rum flavor names.
“The names do not sound right for school lunch rooms,” she explained.
Mrs. Mabel Campbell, Austin High School cafeteria manager, said today she has withdrawn an order for date ice cream because she heard it contained the rum extract.
“The petition was circulated in my church yesterday,” she said.
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