Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-01-05
WAREHOUSE MEN
FACE LEGISLATION
Draft of Bill Prepared in New
York-Loopholes Will Be
Eliminated if Possible.

New York, Dec. 2a-Members Of the
New York State Legislature, who have
learned inside facts about high prices
and unhealtbful conditions brought
about through lack of restrictions up
on the cold storage business, are pre-
pairing n bill for introduction at the
coming session. They will endeavor
to avoid in framing the bill the mis-
takes that have enabled warehouse
men to defeat legislation in other
States.
Present indications are that the bill
will be backed so strongly the cold
storage men cannot smother 1T. as was
done in New Jersey after the House
had passed a restrictive measure by
"a to 4.
A draft of the new bill has been
prepared, but many changes are like
ly to be made before It is introduced.
Legislators here are learning from
those in other States just what OBJ
jections were raised successfully.
We are going to make the new biz
safe and sane and a model for eli
other States" said an assemblyman
yesterday.
EVERYTHING TO BE INSPECTED.
The bill will provide for compulsory
inspection Of all food products Of
fered for storage in any refrigerating
plant or cold storage warehouse. 1t
is believed the cold storage men will
not object to that clause 1t would
stop the storage of rotten eggs and
the restorage of meat that had be-
come unnt for food by being exposed
for sale.
The bill will provide that every re-
ceptacle containing food for cold stor-
age must be stamped with the date
of it's receipt
Much study Of another proposed
provision Of the bill is going On. This
will 'imit the time Of storage of any
article OF food The trainers OF the
bill expect to limit the storage Of nsh
to six weeks meat to six months and
eggs and poultry TO nine months. 1t
is believed this provision will accord
with the storage mems contention that
they aid the public by carrying goods
from one season to another and will
at the same time prevent the arbi-
trary withdrawal OF foodsturfs from
the market for the purpose OF en-
HANGING the price
FIGHT ABOUT REPORTS.
one clause that Is likely to cause n
| lively contest requires all owners or
managers Of cold storage warehouses
to submit quarterly report. to tn"
state board of health, giving itemi1cd
/ lists IF the foodstuFs held in storage,
M It.
tees of several large societies will
analyze the bill before it is introduced,
so that the organizations may support
or oppose it.
II believe I am a careful buyer"
said Mrs. Frederick Nathan, president
NJ the Consumers League, last night
and to the best of my observation
prices of almost all kinds OF meats
and provisions are even higher to-day
than one year ago, when the country
was SO stirred by excessive prices.
ut may be only a coincidence, but 1t
Sc ms to be evident that the increase IN
the cost of all foodstuffs has been alons
the same line as the increase In the cold
storage business. There is no question
that the proper use of cold storage is OF
the utmost benefit to the consumer, but
1t seems to me as II the cold storage
people may be getting away from thu
original intent OF the business and using
their power for the purpose OF keeping
the supply OF necessaries seeminglS
small and the prices exceedingly high
SLAUGHTERERS DRIVEN OUT
Another coincidence In regard to cole
storage was suggested by a large retail
butcher, lie said:
AT the time tho first few cold stor
age plants were installed by packers
In New York there were several larg
slaughter houses and good sized stock
yards in and around tho city, Their
were also eight or nine large, indepen
dent packers who purchased their owl
cattle and placed them on the marke
in competition with western meat.
with the growth OF cold storage. en-
aiding the large packers to keep tn
market short when they pleased. the In
dependent packers and slaughter house
have disappeared. The last large indie
pendent slaughter house was absorbed
by the trust only two months ago"
Some OF to-day's store ads probabl!