Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-01
House Committee Urges Pas
sage of Moore Bill.
REGULATES STORAGE HERE
Provides Limit of Six Months Prod.
ucts May Be Kept in Warehouse.
MAY REDUCE HIGH PRICES
Committee Also Ascertains That
Combinations in District Keep
Cost of Living Up.

Representative j. Hampton Moore OF
Pennsylvania today presented to the
House of Representative the report OF
the District subcommittee which inves-
tisated the pure food question in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
while your committee" says the re-
port, las result of its inquiries believes
the cost of living is materially affected
bv combinations or 'gentlemen's agree
ments' between certain producers, packers
manufacturers and jobbers, and that
methods of packing and shipment lnvoiN-
ing short and deceptive weights ana
neasures-all of which practices mig".
be improved and regulated by reasonable
restriction-it realizes that legislation
covering a wider field than the nmlted
jurisdiction of the District OF ColumD.a
would be necessary to produce results LOT
the benefit of the consumers or the
country"
The report recommends re-enactment OF
the House bill introduced by Mr.. Moore
which is intended to create in the Ds-
trict of Columbia, according to the report,
"a scrutiny of the methods of the large
manipuators of food supplies through the
medium of storage warehouses with the
view of encouraging legitimate trade IN
both channels and of giving to the con-
sumer a square deal
SECTION / of this bill fixes six months
as a limit of the period wholesome Iooo
nay be kept on storage II piinsS tne
storage warehouse, Wnlch Is now hiue
pendent or supervision, unoer the uliso
non of the District Commissioners Dy re.
curing registration and the payment oa d
a license lee of $50 a year. Section
of the bill requires the Commissioners "
Keep a record of all licensed estaohsn-
,nents and to secure monthly return
from each of them showing the quanuty
of food supplies on storage. ..,,
IF the pubic" said The report, As
thus advised OF the quantity OF 1000 Oh
storage, it will be in a better posltlon 10
t>uow whether OF not it is being treated
1airly."
Date to Go on Packages.
Section of the bill requires that the
date of entry shall be placed upon all
goods entering storage, so that the IN
spectors of the District may know when
the six-month period has expired.
The fourth section of the bill is intended
,o eprevent the acceptance In storage OF
supplies that may be decomposed, or IN
any way unfit for food. Section pre-
vents the taking out OF storage Ior SAFE
and DISPOSITION as food any food supplies
that may De IOunu " Oc ihbPNiS.
may have become oecOmpoSeo Willie Ia
storage.
The committee says that the sixth sec
tom relating to the receipts OF eggs ana
their treatment on storage, is recon-
mended at the suggestion OF DR.. wiley,
the government chemist, and is in line
with the suggestion OF some OF the scleh-
tific witnesses who appeared before tne
committee and who admitted that one OF
the difficulties in dealing with the I'M
aS,tfn nf unCcr-
tainty of the quality OF the eggs wheh
they arrived for storage. With regard 10
that problem it was SAID that Whlie iarse
concerns were able to buy up all the eggs
in a territory some time co-extenslve
with a state, there was still no assurance
Notwithstanding the mecnanicai OF
chemical perfection OF the <reIriSeratlnS
apparatus in cold storage warehouses
that the eggs gathered by the FARMER
wife had not been held at such varying
Temperatures and under sucn unscIentlnc
conditions as to disturb theT nutritNe
qualities when finally assembied Tor stor-
age the length OF which, In the matte,
O ftime could not improve their quahty
The seventh and last section or the Dill
provides the method of procedure should
violation of the proposed law necessi-
tate libel or condemnation proceedings
Iy the District Commissioners.
The committee declares that the test-
monv heard by il was confined very
largely TO the complaint originating with
consumers of food product until the rel
-erence to the committee of bills providing
fu- the labelling of packages so as 10
show the net weight of the contents
thereof and imposing tax upon GER
tain vendors oe food supplies. These
bills brought forth large volume or
protest from manufacturers and ooppers
who complained that the PROVISIONS OF
IN. bills Would interfere with production
and business enterprises.
In consequence of these protests and
the hearings resulting thcrcfrom. much
Interesting testimony was adduced. Inc
result was the introduction of the bill
favorably reported, which embodied, so
far as the committee is able to observe.
the principal object sought to be OBJ
tanned by those who contend for tie regu-
la,ion OF food supplies i'll the District OF
Columbia.