Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-06-14
washington Letter.
tFRoM Our Reg LAR CoRRE.PoNDENT.)
Saturday, June 8, 1906.

(FROM OUR REG ULAR CORREtPONDEhF.)
Saturday, June 8. 1906.
In the presence Of some OF Its most
ardent supporters the denatured alco-
hol bill which provides for the remov-
al or the tax from alcohol used in the
arts was signed this week by the Presi
dent. With the pen with which he
e,gned the bill the President wrote his
autograph on several pictures OF him
self and presented them to those who
had fought for the bill in the House.
The fountain pen went to representa-
tive Hill of Massachusetts who has
given great study to the measure and
is one of the warmest advocates Of it
aud who will 60 to Germany this sum-
mer to spend his vacation In the study
of the uses Of alcohol in that country
and its manufacture. During the sign
ing Of the bill the Speaker of the House.
Mr.. Cannon who has had no great love
for the measure came to call upon the
President. Mr.. Roosevelt remarked to
HIM after welcoming him, II will be
able to talk to you in a few moments
At present I am engaged upon the de-
natured alcohol bill of which you may
have heard something" "Denatured
alcohol drawled the Speaker, Eyes,
have heard of it. Why, out i'll our
country the babies cry for it, This
bill Just signed by the President which
becomes law in January 1907, is one
of the most important measures passed
this session and that it did pull through
Was surprise to both its friends and
enemies in Congress. All Of the strength
of the Standard Oil Trust, and the
smaller but not ineffective interests OF
wood alcohol were aligned against it
but the demand from the people for the
removal of the tax on alcohol that may
be used as fuel, lighting aud 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. Its success,
it is SAID, will be the destruction OF the
wood alcohol industries and prove a
serious blow to Standard Oil butt will
be of Infinite benefit to the west where
almost all crops formerly wasted can
be converted into alcohol which fur
nisLes the cheapest and best fuel yet
discovered for that part Of the country.
The Beef Trust seat its very clever
est man TO Washington 10 appear be-
fore the committee which has charge Of
the report 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 prin.
cipal witness for the packers has mad"
a good impression on the committee
and if he had any case at all he could
make an able defense. The trouble,
however, is that he is fighting for a
cause already lost beyond hope Of re-
covery. That the packing houses are
outrageously unsanitary and filthy ev-
eryone believes, and that diseased and
poisoned meats are sent out in various
guises and sold at vast profits to the
people whose lives are imperiled by it's
consumption has already been proven.
According to the testimony Of the
young man who appe ars for the packers
the foreign business has already been
cut ia half, and he Is said 70 have re-
marked in a private conversation, eff
. this business is kept up (referring to
the publicity inside of month we
wont be able to give our meat away in
this country The packers are thor
oughly alarmed over the prospect and
Congressional committees are being ur-
ged TO visit the slaughter houses to see
for themselves it conditions are not bet.
ter than reported. In the meantime
such 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 OBJ
tanning labor great changes can be eff
fected in twenty.four hours and the
packers have been busy night and day
for full week. Flaming advertise
ments are being placed in the papers
and posted in conspicuous places en-
treating the public to visit the packing