The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-22
PURE FOOD BILL
FINALLY PASSED
BY THE SENATE

Washington. Feb. 22.-After 10 years OF
more or less serious consideration OF the
subject. the senate yesterday passed
pure food bill by the decisive vote Of 81 TO
4. The vote was taken after day devoted
almost exclusively To debate or desui-
tory character on the measure Severai
efforts were made to amend the bill. ana
the committee accepted some suggestions.
but only these thus accepted were incor~
porated in the bill as passed
The bill makes II a misdemeanor 10
manufacture or sell adulterated or mis-
branded foods, drugs. medicines or liquors
in the District OF Columbia, the terrific
ries and the insular possessions or the
United States, and prohibits the shipment
OF such goods from one state TO another
or TO a foreign country. II 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 or
corporations, officials I'm charge are made
responsible
The treasury department and the de-
partments OF agriculture and OF commerce
and labor are required TO agree upon reg
ulations for the collection and examina-
tion OF the articles covered by the bill,
but no specific provision is made for in
vestigation except by the department or
agriculture The Investigations by that
department are placed in the hands of
the chief OF the bureau OF chemistry, and
II he finds that the law has been violated
the secretary OF agriculture is requested
TO report the facts 10 the United States
district attorney, who in turn is requested
20 institute proceedings In the Federal
courts.
DEALERS MAY GET EXEMPTION.
The bill also defines foods. drugs. medi-
cines and liquors. and the standards for
them. There is an exemption for dealers
who furnish guarantees against adultera-
tion and misbranding.
Much OF the time was spent I'm consid-
ering the effect of the word added" as
applied 10 the ingredients i'm whiskey.
Mr.. Bailey discussed the constitutional
features OF the bill, contending that the
bill were invalid. He took the position
that the regulation Of food and drugs be-
longed TO the states and that Federal
statute should not be resorted to for that
purpose. He argued that we need better
prosecuting attorneys rather than more
government bureaus.
Begin as you are doing in this bill and
you will soon have a department as pow
erful as the postoffice department, he
said. and added;
II doubt if any despotism in the world
vests in one individual as much power as
we give to the saastmaster general. who
can close any mans business by an ediet
from which there is no appeal"
AMENDMENTS ADOPTED.
At p. m the senate began voting on
the various amendments. The important
amendments adopted were the following:
Providing that no official notice
of finding against any article
shall be given until after the
OF the court before which the case is
heard providing that when I'm the prep
aration of food products for shipment
they are preserved by an external appli-
cation applied in such manner that the
preservative is necessarily removed me-
chanically or by maceration in water or
otherwise" the provisions of the act shall
be construed as applying only when said
products are ready for consumption; "re-
uuiring that mixtures or blends contain
ing alcohol or opium shall be branded or
labelled so as to show that fact and
changing the provisions regarding the
misbranding Of liquors so as to make II
read: 'rt shall be deemed misbranded IL
II is blended or rectified or consists OF an
admixture of different grades OF the same
liquor or contains. or is mixed with the
substances, and the word blended" rec
titled" or mixed" as the case may be,
is not plainly stated on the package"
There were only two roll calls on amend
ments and in both instances the commit
fee was sustained. The first OF these was
on an amendment offered by Mr.. Foraker
eliminating the word added" from the
following provision:
I'm the case OF liquors. an article shall
be deemed adulterated IL II contains any
added ingredients of a poisonous or dele
terious character"
The amendment was lost "a to 4s. The
other roll call was a change suggested by
Mr.. Foraker In the labelling OF rectified
liquors, which was lost by the close vote
OF TO S5. The amendment on that point,
which was afterward accepted. was on
similar lines.
On the final roll call the bill passed by
vote Of 63 to 4. Messrs Bacon. Bailey,
Foster and Tilman, all Democrats, being
the only senators TO cast their votes I'm