Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-23
|hso ;LEe, q At PRESENT
SESSION OF CONGRESS. WISE
asz.e7 s:pNEs SAY.
COMMITTEE ON MANUFACTURES
TO BLOCK PURE FOOD PLANS
Storage Interests Successful in Bitter
Fight Wassd Against Dr.. Wi'sy's
Ferees-Publie a. Usual Bears Bur-
den Of Furnishing Proof-Hsyburn
Will Insist on Storage Restrictions.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Nov. 23.-No leSisla-
ton for the regulation Of the cold stor-
age business along the lines which are
favored by DR.. Harvey w. Wiley and
other believers in stringent pure food
legislation, is to be expected at the
coming session of congress. This is
the talk among members Of the senate
committee on manufactures. the COM
mittee before which the question OF
such legislation is pending.
Senator Hepburn, chairman OF the
committee, is favorable to stringent
legislation but in this he is not backed
up by a part of his committee. The
bill which Senator Hepburn favors and
which he himself has introduced pro-
vides for limitation Of the periods dur
ing which food products of different
kinds may remain in cold storage. In
addition. il provides for a rigid sys-
TEN of inspection Of the products
which are put into cold storage.
Cold Storage Interests Fight.
Huge cold storage interests in this
country have been fighting bitterly
against restrictive legislation. Hear
ings were conducted before the COM
mittee on manufactures las: session.
Former Congressman Charles E. Lit
tlefield, Of Maine, marshaled the forces
against cold storage legislation. He
was retained as attorney by cold stor-
are interests. The cold storage inter-
ests somehow got a much better show
ing in the hearings than the advocates
Of restrictive legislation. This was due
10 no favoritism on the part OF the
committee apparently but to the fact
the cold storage interests were on the
alert and prepared while the public
side OF the case was largely unrepre-
sented
The committee may take some fur
ther testimony but probably not much
at any rate. 1t is now contended by
those who want little or no restriction
on the cold storage business that there
has been failure to show that food pro-
ducts kept in cold storage for a long
time are deleterious to health. 1t is
admitted that such articles OF food
may lose their palatahility but 1t is
insisted that it has not been shown they
hurt anybody. For instance. it is con-
tended chicken kept IN cold storage
two years, while IT may not be taste
full has not been shown 10 be un-
realthful il eaten. Moreover, 1t is In
sisted the statements that thru cold
storage food prices are controlled and
ma de higher are rot borne out by the
evidence.
Public Bears Burden.
1t looks now as II the public. as US
ual. was put in the position OF having
the burden of proof put on it. That is.
unless 1t can show by actual evidence
that food is unhealthful after prolong-
ed sojourn in storage. no matter II it
is disagreeab BILE to the taste and I'M
palatable, nothing will be done about
IT.
The only legislation that seems now
at all likely to grow 90. cs the COW
sideration of the cold storage question
in congress is law providing for in
spection Of food articles when they go
into storage and when they come out.
Some of the members Of the com nit
tee on manufactures say that while
they would not favor restricting the
time of sojourn in cold storage. they
would support inspection legislation.
Senator Hepburn will fight for straight
restriction Of the cold storage business.
including restriction Of the time goods
may remain in storage. But II any
thing is done about 1t. it will probably
at the outside be passage Of an in
spection measure.