Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-22
SENATE PASSES FOOD BILL
Hepburn Measure Goes Through Upper
House by Vote Of 69 to a.
SOME PROVISIONS or PROPOSED ACT
IL Makes It a Nisdemeanor TO Manu-
fRcture or Sell Unbranded or
AduIterated Foods, DruE.
or Liquors.

WASHINGTON, Feb. I-After fifteen
years OF more or less serious consideration
Of the subject, the senate today passed
pure food bill by the decisive vote of 50
TO T. The vote was taken after day de
voted almost exclusively to debate OF a
desultory character on the measure Sew
eral efforts were made to amend the bill
and the committee accepted a number Of
suggestions. but only those thus accepted
were incorporated in the bill as passed.
The bill makes 1t a misdemeanor to man
ufacturc or sell adultcrated or miSbranded
foods, drugs medicines or liquors in the
District of Columbia. the territories and
the insuar possessions Of the United States
and prohibits the shipment Of such goods
from one state TO another or to another
country 1t also prohibits the receipt of
such goods. Punishment by fine OF 500 or
by Imprisonment for one year or both. is
prescribed. In the case of corporations,
officials in charge are made responsible.
The Treasury department and the De
partments of Agriculture and of Com
merce and Labor are required to
agree upon regulations for the collection
and examination of the articles covered
by the bill, hut no specific pro-
vision is made for investigation except
by the Department OF Agriculture. The in
designations by that department are placed
in the hands of the chief of the bureau of
chemistry and IL he finds that the law
has been violated the secretary of agri-
culture is required to report the facts 10
the United States district attorney. who
in turn il required to institute proceedings
in the federal courts The bill also de
fines foods, drugs, medicines and liquors
and also defines the standards for them.
There is an exemption for dealers who
furnish guarantees against adulteration
and misbrandinE.
Vote on Amendments.
At p. IN. the senate began voting OH
the various amendments The important
amendments adopted included the follow
ing: Changing the provisions regarding
the misbrandng of liquors to make
it read: 1T shall be deemed misbranded
If it is blended or rectified or consists of
admxture of different grades of the
same liquor, or contains or is mixed with
substances and the word blended rec
tilted or mixed as the case may be- be
not plainly stated on the package" etc.
There were only two roll calls on amend
ments and In both instances the committee
was sustained. The first of these was on
an amendment offered by Mr.. Foraker,
eliminating the word added" from the
following provision:
In the case of liquors, an article shall
he deemed adulterated IL it contains any
added ingredient of poisonous or dele
FERROUS character" The amendment was
lost "A to &c. The other roll call was on
a change suggested by Mr.. Foraker In
labelling rectihed liquors, which was lost
b. the close vote of 30 to 20.
he an that n,i,. n.l,;,I, ,,.o
afterwards accepted was on similar lines.
Mr.. Moneys substitute bill and on
amendment by Mr.. Spooner authorizing the
secretary of agriculture To fix standards
of food. drugs, and liquors were both
voted down without calling the roll.
On the final roll call the bill passed by
a vote of SO to 4. Messrs. Bacon Bailey.
Foster and Tillman, all democrats being
the only senator's to cast their votes In
the negative.
Tho senate at 5:l5 p. m adjourned