The evening times., 1899-01-30
PROSPECTS FOR Pure
| FOOD LEGISLATION
Difficulty of Framing a Proper
Law.
Nothing Likely to Be Done by the
Present Congress.
BrOsius Bill Meeting With OppOsi-
tiOn, and Not Yet Out OF
Committee.

Pure food legislation is not likely to be
accomplished by this Congress. The SEN
ate pure food bill has been reported by the
Agricultural Committee of that branch OF
Congress and has been placed on the cal
endar, but it cannot be reached in the
regular order of business, and even if it
were such debate would be precipitated
as to kill its chances of enactment in the
remaining days of the short session.
The identical bill in the House, known
as the Brosius bill, is meeting with oppo-
sitlon, and is not yet out of committee.
Representative Fischer of Brooklyn ap-
peared before the Interstate and Foreign
Commerce Committee of the House, which
has charge of this bill, and made some
strong objections to the liquor and other
provisions OF the proposed law, and a few
days later he introduced a bill in the
House which proposes to remedy the al
legged defects of the Brosius bill.
Representative Fischcr's Views.
Mr.. Fischer, while strongly in favor CT
pure food legislation, finds much fault
with the provisions of the Brosius bill.
especially as it affects the wine and liquor
interests OF this country. He said recent
~:
This subject of pure food and beverages
is very important and extensive one, and
cannot be hastily considered and disposed
Of There are provisions of the Brosius
bill which | consider unconstitutional, and
/ others which, if enforced, would drive
American manufacturers out OF business,
and this too, in the interests of foreigners.
In my bill | have attempted TO remedy
some of these defects, but admit that my
bill is not perfect and is subject to criti-
cism and improvement. The BrCsiUs bill
provides, among other things, that the
dealers shall be required 10 furnish evil
dence against themselves; that they must
! sell samples to Government officials for
analysis and provides a penalty in case
! they refuse to do so. This is against the
constitutional amendment which vests
such rights in the States alone. AS a mat
| ter of fact, New York has such law upon
its statute books, but it has never been en-
| forced, and such enforcement wCu.d ..Su
| i'll rising OF merchants which would eX-
| ceed any bread riots. Ohio also has Law
| TO the effect that wine must possess at
! least 20 per cent alcohol. AS a matter of
| fact. the pure wines of Ohio contain not
| TO exceed Il per cent of alcohol, and the
| enforcement of this provision would force
| the manufacturers either to spoil their
wines by mixing in pure alcohol or else go
out of the business.
Care Should Be Taken.
Il cite these instances to show that some
care should be taken in enacting national
| law, if it is going TO be enforced. Pure
wine, | hold, should be deemed to mean
| fermented juice OF undried fruits, with
such additions as pure sugar TO perfect it
and pure distilled spirits 10 preserve it,
and ingredients necessary to fine or c arify
| it, not injurious TO health, provided that it
shall contain at least 15 per cent of such
fruit juices.
In the case of spirituous liquors. the
| Government test is 10. but no man but
a Swedish sailor can drink such product.
| Whisky is usually mixed with prune juice,
! glycertne, etc, to make il palatable and
smooth but such blending, under
the Brosius bill, would be con-
sidered an adulteration. My idea
is that whisky containing about S.
| per cent alcohol and specific gravity fixed
| by statute should be considered whisky
| That is about the test that high grade
| whiskies will show.
Brosius Bill Provisions.
| The Brosius bill provides that generic
names such as port and sherry and
| champagne. shall not be used. This would
ruin the California wine industry. Port
wine originally took its name from Opor-
| to- Portugal, but it has come to mean a
! heavy dark wine, and champagne like
| wise took its name from the Province of
| Champagne, but it has come TO mean a
| sparkling wine, and there is no question
| that American manufacturers have
right to manufacture American
| champagne and port wines. If the
F, right to so style their wines were
| taken from them, they would have to adopt
new names, which would ruin their busi-
ness. This bill is the fourth attempt
which has been made to ruin certain
American industries for the benefit of for
| eign ones; for at the same time that
American manufacturers would be pre-
| vented from selling port wine other than
| that coming from Oporto So per cent of
the imported port wine never sees Opor-
to. 1t comes from Hamburg and other
places, and its name simply signifies a
dark, heavy wine, and it is no more Opor-
| TO wine than the American product Our
| manufacturers should not be allowed to
| entitle their wines 'Oporto port but they
have the right to call it port
| Self-Rnising Flour.
In the case of flour, self-raising -four of
| various kinds which is sold under pro-
prietary title is not pure flour; it contains
| yeast properties, salt etc. and for this
reason it could not be sold, under the
| Brosius bill, as wheat flour.
| The question of constructing a pure
food law which will be just to American
| industries, and which can be enforced. is
| very serious one, and l think such bill
! should go to the Judiciary Committee
There are too many legal points involved
| to enact such law in a haphazard man.
ner. The subject is a technical and a ju-
/ dicial one. There are thousand of foods
| and beverages, and each one has its in
| terests, which must be considered and
properly protected The subject of a pure
food law is almost as exhaustive a ques-
| tion as the enactment of tariff law"
Movements of Warships.