New-York tribune., 1906-06-27
PURE FOOD In DANGER.
BILLS DIFFER "
WIDELY.
Senators Lodth to Pass on House
Measure in Closing Hours.
IFrem The Tribune nureeu. ]


Washington. June 26.-The situation of the
Pure Food bill in conference is undoubtedly
precarious Pure food measures have been be-
fore Congress for nearly twenty years and in
the closing hours of the last session Senator
Hepburn made desperate effort TO have passed
through the Senate a bill reported from his COM
mittee. Senators Lodge, Spooner and other
Senate leaders opposed the measure as being too
loosely drawn and as capable of working great
injustice as well likely 10 fail of it's purpose
in several instances. They assured Mr.. Hepburn
however. that if he would permit the bill to go
over until this year and would then carefully
wise the Objectionable sections they would give
him all possible assistance and would help him
10 pass the bill early in this session. They kept
their word and the Senate passed efficient
Pure Food bill February 21.
II went Immediately to the House The House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
considered ii from time to time held hearings
and finally struck all after the enacting clause
and substituted bill of its own. This new bill
wes reported TO the House March 7. From
that date until June 21 II remained on the House
calendar without action. Then 1t was debated
by the House under limiting rule. preventing
other amendments than those of the committee.
request for a conference on the conflicting
measures reached the Senate to-day, and the re-
quest agreed TO.
Ine essential differences between the bills
Germ drugs, including patent medicines the la
belling OF packages and the penalties for viola
tion of the law.
The Senate bill provided that for violation Of
the law there should be imposed fine not to
exceed 800 or one years Imprisonment, both.
The House measure provides a fine Of $500 for
first offence. and for a subsequent offence a
fine not 10 exceed $500. or one years imprison-
ment or both. The Senate provision that viola
tions OF the law by corporation should be en-
forced against officers OF the corporation per-
sonally responsible for the violation is omitted
from the House measure.
The Senate bill provides that labels on pack
ages or bottles Of proprietary foods drugs or
liquors must show the amount of alcohol or
opium in any form contained in them The
House bill provides that in the case of drugs
they must show the label the amount of al
cohOl morphine, cocaine etc, but adds the fol-
lowing:
Provided. however. that IT may be proven. as
complete defence TO any accusation prosecution
for failure 10 state the quantity OF proportion OF
alcohol above required that the quantity or pro-
portion OF alcohol Contained in any package does
not & excsSd The 9nantitg or proportion prescribed
s cnai cy as s9lyent or Of
or preparation in such package
Senators who have studied this subject main
tain that this provision mitigates and may prac-
tically render nugatory the former provision
that IL is unnecessary and that 1t will afford a
loophole for escape from the requirement con-
tained in the Senate bill that every preparation
offered for sale must bear the label a state
Inent Of the precise amount Of alcohol or opium
IN any form. contained therein. They say that
attempt 10 enforce this provision would en-
tail endless lawsuits and that moreover as
proprietary medicines are usually taken without
a physicians prescription. their labels should
make il plain to the when they contain
alcohol or opium. in any form. and the precise
amount. They argue that by putting in prep
aration minute portion OF drug soluble only
in alcohol the manufacturer of a patent med
icine could add alcohol 20 his nOstrum and re-
frain from stating the label that any
contained in the medicine.
II is expected that the serious conflict
between the conferrees Will have do with this
section.
The House measure contains provision which
was not in the Senate bill and which requires
IN terms of weight measure the label but
are not plainly and correctly stated on the out
side of the package they shall be deemed mis-
branded In the opinion of many advocates of
pure food legislation this does not go half far
enough as under il the manufactured .carlner
or seller could merely refrain from stating the
contents in terms of weight or measure.
These are the only differences which have thus
far been pointed out important. but the fact
that the House has practically redrawn the en-
tire measure which the Senate passed only after
the most careful consideration, affords ground Z
for the fear that more minute examination of
the House bill and a more thorough comparison
with the Senate measure will reveal other points
Of disagreement Members OF the Senate are
loath 10 pass on so complicated and intricate a
measure in the hurry inevitable 10 the closing
hours of a session.