The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-01
STEVENS EXPLAINS
|. !. THE Pure FOOD BILL
Provisions Relating to Patent
Medicines and Drugs Are
Made Clear.
BY w. w. jermane,

Washington, June 3O.-Representa-
tive Stevens before leaving for St. Paul
gave T e"J ourn ! a statement ex-
planatory Of several sections Of the
pure food BILL. which have not been
covered fully in previous dispatches,
tary medicines which contain so.called
Authorizing drugs.
"The senate bill as it came to the
house contained no provision regulating
the sale or labelling Of patent and pro-
prietary medicines containing narcotic
drugs" said Mr.. Stevens. "The house
bill amended the senate measure to pro
drugs-opium, morphine, cocaine, hash
eesh, as we'll as alcohol-should bear
on it's label a statement of quantity and
proportion of such Ingredient. This
provision was subsequently modified by
what is known as the Lowering amend
ment, to exclude from the bill provis-
ions relative to the labelling of alcohol
opium and morphine when prescribed
minimum quantity was in the package.
the excited discussions thruout the
country. It was subsequently modified
to provide that when alcohol is used in
sufficient quantities only to dissolve
the active necessary ingredients, it need
not be labeled, but this must be shown
in any defense against prosecution. The
bureau of chemistry Informed the house
and enforceable, but the conferees
struck it out and required that all such
ingredients shall be shown upon the
label, when the product goes into in
terstate and foreign commerce.
Formula Not Required.
"This means that makers of patent
and proprietary medicines containing
any Of the drugs named, as well as
the formula Of their preparations, but
they must print upon labels the amount
of the drug and the proportion Of alco-
hol contained in them. ..m...5
cit has been asserted that the pro-
| visions Of the bill will exclude the use
of coloring matter in butter. This is
not true, however, except where such
soloring matter is used to conceal an
unwholesome or inferior product. In
ter ia used will be treated as any other
food product, under the provisions Of
| the bill: - Il =: ~. ~. :,
"It was stated that there is a. conflict
between the meat inspection and pure
food bills as to inspection, but this is
vides for inspection from hoof to can,
or prior to it's introduction to inter:
state commerce. The pure food bill
only provides2 that goods when sold
shall not contain injurious substances
and shall tell the truth about the con-
tents Of the package.
Mcoumber's Victory.
Senator McCumber of North Dakota
had charge Of the bill when the confer,
ence report was finally agreed to. by
tho senate, and he was congratulated by
number Of his colleagues on having
won long and hard fight for pure food
~ am perfectly satisfied with the
Der. "AsS t 7ppassased, lie T,bill. was even
better than when it deft the senate. The
new matter inserted by the house per
fected the legislation nicely One OF
the provisions relating to purchase by
agents Of the department was changed
to provide that purchases might be
made in open market instead OF requlr
ing the manufacturer to deliver his
goods upon presentation Of the price
The final adoption Of the latter pro
vision would have come dangerously
close to compelling an accused person
to give evidence against himself. Some
Of the other provisions did not meet my
views entirely, but as agreed upor
finally by the conferees, the bill has my
entire APPROVAL
Senator McCumber has been fghtinf
for pure food legislation practically
ever since he entered the senate. II
almost every congress he, has seen I
pure food bill pass either the house o.
the senate, and now he has the salts
faction, of seeing his efforts crowned
with success.