New-York tribune., 1910-04-08
TO LIMIT COLD STORAGE
Lodue Bill Prohibits Holding
Food More than a Year.
ADULTERATED AFTER THAT
Massa Senator Also
Submits Plan for Continuing
Cost of Living Inquiry.

Washington, April The Senate com
mittee which is investigating the cost oil
living believes that limit should be set
to the use OF cold storage for the purpose
Of artifcially maintaining or advancing
prices of food. Senator Lodge. the chair
man, introduced hill providing that food
kept in cold storage more than one year
should lie considered adulterated and any
food tas~-n out of cold storage and errone-
ously marked as to the time IL had been
in storage shall he regarded as misbranded
in violation Of the pure food law
In presenting the bill Mr.. Lodge made
the following statement:
Under the resolution OF the Senate the
select committee appointed 10 inquire into
wages and prices o. commodities was given
authority to make recommendations. In
pursuance of that authority the committee
now desires to recommend 10 the Senate
le egislatiOn limiting the time during which
periShabe articles of food may be held
iii cold storage. From such investigation
as the committee has thus far been able TO
make II is satisfied that some limit ought
to he put on the of cold storage for
prices arthcially. II is of the opinion that
this limit of time will tend to an equaliZa-
tl"n OF prices. and in some cases TO re-
The investigation OF this subject now be-
ing made by the Agricultural Department
is not completed. but il has proceeded far
obtained the view taken by the committee.
The question of the public health is not
wit hin the jurisdiction Of YOUR committee
charged with the investigation into wages
and prices. The committee has no doubt.
however. that Limitation Of the time
during which perishahle articles of food.
and more especially meat products. may
be retained in cold storage would be nv
chemically Of very great value and would
which are thought hv those who have ex-
alnined the question to Re attributable TO
the practice Of keeping meats. particularly,
in storage for a very long time
The committee therefore recommends
legislation in this direction by Congress
at the earliest possible moment
Asks Appropriation of s65,ooo.
The committee. through Mr. Lodge also
asked for instructions as TO continuing the
investigation into the cost of living. and a
tentative plan was submitted. 1t was esti-
mated that four months would be required
to complete the work and that il would
cost $500
The outline Of the plan calls for state
ments to be obtained from forty buyers in
selected localities covering the prices paid
10 the producer on the first Of January,
February, March. April. May and June of
each year from 1900 10 1910. inclusive, for all
grains. livestock and, other farm products
II also contemplates procuring wholesale
prices by the Bureau OF Labor on go com
modities for 1909 and the first four months
OF 1870 In order to bring the work up to
GATE The Bureau of Labor VIII be asked
TO obtain wholesale prices from 1897 to
1910 of all kinds of agricultural implements
Retail prices paid by the consumer on
seventy-one articles would also be obtained
covering the same periods as for producers
prices. This list is intended to include all
articles covered by the resolution providing
for the investigation, except rent, on which.
the committee says. it seems practically i'm
possible To obtain trustworthy comparative
figures
An investigation would be made Of wages.
salaries and hours Of labor in 1900 and 1910
from at least ten establishments in a long
list Of diversified manufactures, and in at
least ten cities covering department stores,
street railways, telegraph companies and
telephone companies, and in ten cities the
union and nOn-uniOn scales for building
trades. cOmpositOrs, dock hands iron
mOulders and machinsts. 1t is also sug-
gested that the wages Of agricultural labor
ers in 1900 and 1910 should be obtained
Mr.. Lodge said it probably would be i'm
possible TO gather the figures desired in
less than four months. and in all proba-
bility complete report could not be made
at the present session Of Congress. He
Hoped. however that the committee would
he able TO suggest legislation from time to
time at this session.
The Political Aspect.
These questions will meet us at home"
said Senator Hale, and they will be agi-
tated in connection with the Congress cleo
tions. / trust that may count upon the
committee supplying us with much valua BILE
material. such all of may find de-
sirable between now and next November"
Senator Bacon said he had supposed that
the purpose Of the committee was to as
certain whether evils existed. and if so, to
suggest remedies for them He had not
supposed that information was 10 be OBJ
tained merely for political purposes.
Mr. Hale agreed with Mr.. BacOns high
opinion Of the purposes of the committee.
but said he realized that il would he i'm
possible 10 prevent the use of the material
In the campaign
Mr. Lodge said that II there was any
politics in the cost OF living inquiry l.a,l
n