Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-06

TO PRESENT PURE FOOD BILL
Board of Pardons, Mr.. Cummings Be-
leves, Will Save the State Great
Deal of Money, and Governors Of
flee Lots of Grief-Purity and No
False Pretenses in Sale of Foods.


from Marshall county, went to Des
Moines Friday evening, to be present
at the opening session of the Thirty
first general assembly on Monday. MIR.
Cummings has not been able to keep
in very close touch with other mem
bers of the legislature, owing to the
not pretend to be familiar only in a
general way, with the business that
may come before the session.
Mr.. Cummings had the important
Craftsmanship of pardons in the house
during the last session, and 1t is under
stood that he is to be given the same
committee this year. Whether or not
this proves to be the case he is working
on an important bill that will be re-
ported by this committee.
While the bill, at present, is only in
an embryotic state, Mr.. Cummins ex-
poets to have it drafted within a few
weeks. He believes that the state will
NC SdNSo d vast dIllOuIlS VI lliOiiSS ~ q
board of pardons is appointed, and
that the governors office will escape
much grief. A board of pardons would
also relieve the legislature of weeks
of investigating records of criminals
convicted of first degree murder, who
are seeking pardons.
AS he has his bill in mind Mr.. Cum
mings would have this board of par
dons consist of three men, one of whom
would be some capable attorney and
the second member a physician of
repute. The governor would do the APP
pointing, and the senate would ratlfy,
the same as in other appointments.
Mr.. Cummings says that some idea
of the cost that would be saved the
state can be gained by the public when
it stops to consider that it costs the
state $500 per day to run the legis-
lature, and that it required three days
time to report the pardon cases In the
house alone at the last session, to say
nothing of the weeks it required to try
the cases. Mr.. Cummings thinks that
it is impossible for the legislature, or
even the committee, to get at the Dot
tom of the facts in pardon cases, ana
that a board of pardons whose business
it is to investigate, could do so to much
better advantage.
Governor Cummins, who has been
sounded by Mr.. Cummings as to his
views of the proposed measure, is IN
hearty sympathy with the movement.
A Pure Food Bill.
Another Of Nj. Cummings measures
that will be presented before the APP
preaching session is a pure food bill.
Mr.. Cummings is much interested In
this measure, and feels that the time
haA come when something should be
done to protect the consumer from
adulterous foods Mr.. Cummings pro-
posed bill will be simple in its makeup,
and will resolve itself into two things,
the doing away with everything that
is deleterious to health in foodsturs OF
any kind, and the prevention of selling
goods containing no deleterious SUB.
stances under false pretenses.
In other words MI Cummings bill
will not only prohibit the sale OF any
goods that contain any concoctlon
whatever that is deleterious to health,
but it will prevent manufacturers, job
bers and dealers from dfspos1ng OF
goods under names not their own.
For instance, glucose. in itself, is not
harmful, and if it suits the taste of a
consumer a dealer is permitted to sell
all he cam In selling, however, he must
offer it as glucose, and not under the
more fanciful name Of some brand OF
syrup Corn syrup is placed on the
market as pure sugar drip, and under
the new bill, if it becomes a law, the
dealer would be compelled to sell it as
corn syrup and nothing else. Pure
maple syrup is another infringement,
for there is but little maple used in the
manufacture Of much that now goes
on the market. Canned salmon is an
other illustration. Salmon is. in many
cases, nothing but catfish put up on the
Mississippi river. Mr.. Cummings would
have it sold as canned catfish, and not
salmon. Pure horseradish," half tur-
nip. and adulterated foods of innumer-
able kinds, will all come under the ban
of being sold for exactly what they
ere and nothing else.
Many of these foods are not harmful
in the least. and yet they are sold for
that they are really not, and
it is the purpose of the bill to do away
with all false pretenses in the sale of
goods. and make pure the articles that
are harmful.