Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-07-06

Washington. - Congress completed
Friday the execution Of its legislative
programme and adjourned Saturday.
On the eve Of adjournment the dif-
ference between the house and senate
on the important bills pending were
adjusted. As q result OF the action
taken the following measures were iaid
before the president for his approval:
The railroad rate act.
The agricultural appropriation bill.
including the meat inspection amend
ment.
The pure food act.
The president signed the railroad
rate bill at li:45 Friday night. II goes
into effect In 60 days.
New Epoch In Legislation.
Had ro,hing else been done this con-
cress these measures would stand out
as monuments TO the present national
administration. In emphatic manner
they mark the beginning OF new
epoch In federal acknowledgements
mental regulation on corporations and
the Invocation OF the police power. 10
Ia speak. to stay the hand Of private
greed and protect the pocke,book and
the health and general welfare OF the
masses.
In the end the house has had Its
way mostly regarding the railroad rate
bill. oil pipe lines remain In the meas
ure rs common carriers. but tho COM
modify provision OF the bill has been
fixed 70 M TO make the prohibition of
an alliance between transportation
and production apply only to railroad
companies" The railroads canno, own
coal mines or transport their own
products. but Standard oil and the in
dependent oil companies can pipe their
own product. The senate yielded on
this point because the house refused
10 give In by nm Overwhelming vote.
and Otherwise the whole bill would
have died.
Senator Tiilman con'cnted himself
with sewers roast OF the Standard
oil influence. and then aS tho ono In
charge Of tho measure voted TO accept
the conference report. Tho senate
gained u part of It's contention In n
rcadjus,mcnt of the anti-pass feature
of the bill which prohibits free trans
poria;ion TO every ono save certain
excepted classes. including railroad
employees and their families. and tho
officials. attorneys. surgeons. etc.. OF
the companies.
House Victory In Meat Bill.
\ The mca, legislation was complete
Victory for the house. The senate
agreed to the conference report and
the housc formally ratified II. There
were TWO points In controvcrsy-,hc
payment for inspection service and tho
question of putting dates on the labels
Of cans and packages OF meat prod
ucts. The government will pay the
cost OF inspection. instead OF the pack
crs. END labels will not require the
date OF inspection or canning Of the
contents.
In announcing the failure of the SEN
a;c conicrccs to win on these disputed
points. Senator Proctor said the bill
accomplished n great deal. inasmuch
as IL provides for thorough inspection
OF all meat products and the sanitary
regulation OF packing plants. and tha,
the eoEicrccs felt they could not lose
everything by holding out for distinc-
i've ltalureS WuiSu tuc phohc Wouiu
not accept. Hc paid his compliments
TO the packers In strong terms and
charged them with having engineered
the scheme teat created sentiment In
favor OF making the government pay
the cort of inspection. Other senators
entered their protest against the con-
trover;ed provisions of the measure.
but finally the conference report was
adopted.
In the house. acceptance Of the re-
port was a pure formality. One i'm
portant new feature of the measure
as II passed both houses is an added
appropriation of 100000 to the $3.-
~ 900 for inspection provided in the
h0se amendment. This was brought
about by combining the amount orig
inally appropriated to the bureau OF
animal industry for inspection under
the old system with the new perma-
nent appropriation.
Pure Food Bill Criticised.
The conference report on the pure
food bill was adopted by both houses
without any change. In the opinion
of DIR. Wiley and other officials OF the
agricultural department. II Is good
measure as far as 1t goes. but Mr..
Mann, of Chicago, who had charge OF
the conference report, says that 1t was
not as good as had been hoped for.
II is weak in that It does not provide
standard by which drugs, foods and
drinks can be measured to determine
whether they comply with the law.
That important question is referred to
the courts. which under the bill as 1t
will become law must add to their
already great burden the consideration
Of cases raising the issue as to wheth-
er certain articles Of food or drugs
contain harmful ingredients, are mis-
branded or because of their labels vio-
late the pure food law.