The Washington times., 1906-06-25
Pure Food in Sight.

The House of Representatives has
redeemed itself. The Speaker and the
Republican leaders have played fair
with the people. BY vote of PAP to
II the pure food bill, at one time
doomed to limbo. was passed by
the popular branch" of Congress.
Adulterated and misbranded food
will not hereafter entr into inter
state commerce, or be consumed by
residents of the District of Columbia
and the rritories-proyided the
conferees of the Senate and the
House do their duty and reach an
agreement.
There are rumors that the bill is
to die in conference. That such dark
speculation should be indulged in is
only natural. The biIl-or substan-
tally the same measure-has been
seventeen years before Congress.
Moreover, the session is drawing to
a close, and a deadlock in the con-
ference committee might induce the
leaders of Congress to abandon
cause to which they may give only
half-hearted sympathy.
The House has substituted it's own
bill for the bill that passed the
Senate. This may hurt the dignity of
the upper branch of the legislature.
Yet il is true that the substitute is
the stronger measure, and in the
main should prevail 1t is TO the
credit of the House that the great
American FRAUD has been boldly
attacked and defeated. The patent
medicine clause is about as strong
as it could be drawn. This indorse-
ment is made with the concurrence
of Samuel Hopkins Adams, who con-
Quoted the vigorous campaign
against patent medicines which, ac-
cording to the expressions of mem
bers of the House, focused atten-
tion on the great fraud and evil. If
the Senate does not accept the
patent medicine clause adopted by
the House, il will be because the
Proprietary Association is strong
enough TO prevent such acceptance.
The only Joker" of importance
which found its way into the Hep
burn bill, relates to the manufacture
of imitation whisky. The. friends of
straight" whisky were partially de-
feated, but in this matter the Senate
conferees are likely to strengthen
the bill; for the Hepburn bill makes
no concession to the spurious
whisky lobby.
Perhaps the important feature of
the House bill over which there can
be an honest difference of opinion
among the conferees is that delegat-
ing to the Secretary of Agriculture
authority to make food standards.
There is no question about the con-
stitutionality of this provision. In
sweeping decision the United
States Supreme Court affirmed the
right of Congress TO delegate to the
Secretary of the Treasury authority
TO fix standards of tea. And as the
food commissioners of the several
States are strongly in favor of the
provision in the Hepburn bill. it
would seem as though this import
ant function should be given to the
Department of Agriculture.
The most important bill of the
session, in the Judgment of many
wise persons, has now passed both
houses of Congress. This legislation,
which affects every home in the
land, is now in the keeping of the
conferees. These gentlemen will be
watched as no conference commit
tee was ever watched. They will be
expected to agree upon the strong
est bill which can result from the
action of the two houses. The de-
mand is that they serve the people
without fear or favor. 1t is now well
known that the most powerful lob |
by which has assembled in Wash |
ington for twenty years has been
fighting the pure food bill.
Which wins-the people or the
lobby?