The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-06-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.

In the presence OF some OF Its most
ardent supporters the denatured alcohol
bill, which provides for the removal of the
tax from alcohol used in the arts, was
signed this week by the President. With
the pen with which he signed the bill the
President wrote his autograph on several
pictures of himself and presented them to
those who had fought for the bill in the
House. The fountain pen went to Repre-
sentative Hill, of Massachusetts,, who has
given great study to the measure and is
one of the warmest advocates of it, and
who will go to Germany this summer to
spend his vacation in the study of the
uses of alcohol in that country and its
manufacture. During the signing of the
bill the Speaker of the House, Mr.. Ca n
non, who has no great love for the meas
ure, came to call upon the President
Mr.. Roosevelt remarked to him, after
welcoming him, II will be able to talk to
you in few moments. At present am
engaged upon the denatured alcohol bill,
of which you may have heard some.
thing" "Denatured alcohol" drawled
the Speaker. "Yes, I have heard of it.
Why, out in our country the babies cry
for it." This bill just signed by the Pres
ident which becomes law in January,
1907, is one of the most important meas
ures passed this session and that it did
mil fhrouof, xYoc-o s,~o~iea ~ ho+I, sc
friends and enemies in Congress. All of
the strength of the Standard Oil Trust,
and the smaller, but not ineffective, in.
terests of wood alcohol were aligned
against it, but the demand from the peo-
pie for the removal of the tax on alcohol
that may be used as fuel, lighting and
motive power for variety of machinery,
was so great that the trusts were pushed
to the wall and the bill went through
both houses with votes to spare. It's sue
cess, it is said, will be the destruction of
the wood alcohol industries and prove a
serious blow to Standard Oil, but it will
be of infinite benefit to the west, where
almost all crops formerly wasted can be
converted into alcohol, which furnishes
the cheapest and best fuel yet discovered
for that part of the country.
~
The Beef Trust sent its very cleverest
man to Washington to appear before the
Committee which has charge of the re-
port of the Chicago Packing Houses,
made at the suggestion of the President,
and sent by him to Congress. The young
man, who has been the principal witness
for the packers, has made good impress.
sion on the committee and if he had any
case at all he could make an able defense
The trouble, however, is that he is
lighting for cause already lost beyond
hope of recovery. That the packing
houses are outrageously uusanitary and
filthy every one believes, and that dis
eased and poisoned meats are sent out in
various guises and sold at vast profits to
the people whose health and lives are i'm.
periled by its consumption has already
been proven. According to the testimony
of the young man who appears for the
packers, the foreign business has already
been cut in half, and he is said to have
remarked in private conversation, "If
this business is kept up' (referring to the
publicity ''inside of month we won't
be able to give our meat away in this
country" The packers are thoroughly
alarmed over the prospect and Congress
sional committees are being urged to visit
the slaughter houses to see for themselves
if conditions are not better than reported.
In the meantime such a house.cleaning
is going on in the packing houses as they
have not known since the buildings were
erected.
With the vast resources of money and
for obtaining labor great changes can be
effected in twenty four hours and the
packers have been busy night and day
for full week. Flaming advertisements
are being placed in the papers and posted
in conspicuous places entreating the pub
lie to visit the packing houses and see
how lovely it all is, but the damage is
already done and the beef trust knows it |
and driven to the wall, is making its
squeal of fright and rage. As matter of
fact though just as the innocent bystander
is the one who usually gets killed, SO in