Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-21
President Asks Congress
to Amend Pure Food
Law.
DEFECTS POINTED OUT
House Passes Underwood Wool
Schedule by insurgents
Aiding Democrats.

| Washington, June 21-rn a messag &c
transmitted today to congress President
Taft scathingly arraigned manufactur-
ers Of what he denounced as danger
GUS drug frauds" and urged congress
to amend at this session the pure food
vital points of weakness recently
pointed out by the decision Of The
United States supreme court.
President Taft believes that unless
the law is amended forthwith the cour-
try will again be flooded by injurious
nostrums" and "curealls" which were
common before the pure food law was
first enacted.
HOUSE READY TO ACT.
The message was transmitted to
both the senate and house and it was
said today that the latter body proba-
bly, would take up the matter ar an
early date. Representative Sherley, Of
Kentucky, has already introduced a
bill bearing on the subject.
New York, June 21.-President Taft,
before leaving for New Haven, sent
congress a special message to be pre-
sented at today's session. 1t recon-
mends that congress pass an amaad-
ment to the pure food laws providing
that no misbranding or misleading
statements whatsoever, may be
placed on labels.
1t is the result of the recent SUI
preme court decision, which ruled that
the manufacturer could legally label a
nostrum as "cure for consumption
even though he failed to establish the
curative qualities of the medjcape, so
Tong as the label complied with the
TaN in publishing truthfully the chem
icaI contents of the remedy.
WILL REJECT RESOLUTION.
Washington, June 21.-Late to-
day the house probably will vote on
the resolution for the direct election
of senators with the Bristow amend
tions attached. There is little doubt
the house will reject the amendment,
thus ending the resolution to confer
ence.
PASSES UNDERWOOD BILL.
Washington, June 21.-The house
of representatives by a vote of 221
to 100 late yesterday passed the I'm
derwood wool tariff revision bill pro-
viding for reduction of the duty
on wool and manufactures of wool.
Twenty-four republicans voted with
the democrats for the passage of the
measure, and one democrat, Repre-
sentative Francis of Ohio, voted
against it. Many amendments were
offered and voted down, the only
one adopted being a slight change
in phraseology.
Almost five hours were spent by
the house in debate under the five
rule. Immediately preceding
the final vote a motion offered by
Representative Payne of New York,
that the bill be result - itted to the
ways and means committee, with in
that 1t await a report from
the tariff board on the wooden indus
try before making final report of the
bill, was lost by a vote of 1S9 to
118.
AMENDMENTS VOTED DOWN.
Representative Underwood, chair |
man of the ways and means commit |
tee and in charge of the bill, kept |
his forces well together in their op- |
position to all amendments. While !
some democrats proposed amend
ments with one exception they voted |
with the party when the bill came |
to passage.
Representative Gray of Indiana Of
tered an amendment to replace raw
wool on the free list, instead of 20 !
per cent ad valorem as the bill pro-
Vides, and to recommit the bill to the
committee with instructions that
of wool be reduced to
20 per cent ad valorem. This was
ost
After the bill had passed a mes
'age was read from President Taft
been made for certain information
rom the tariff board in regard to
he wooden question.
TEXT OF PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
President Taft stated that the
ariff board would not be ready to
Iubmft comprehensive report on
yoolen and cotton schedules of the
arfff law until december next. He
declared the board was instructed,
when reorganized in April last, TO
'e ready to report in December, and
hat in the meantime il was not in I
position. to transmit anything ex-
ept some figures already sent TO the
Iouse ways and means committee.
President Taft said he transmitted
he house resolution to the board, I
which in reply prepared statement ;