The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-07
AhT|-DRUG BILLS
BEFORE CONGRESS
Measures Are Aimed to stiae the
s Tfatnc in Opium and
Cocaine.
BILLS FArHERED BY HARRISON

PRESIDENT Roosevelt and his Secretary of
State. John Hay. in 1904, for the inter-
national suppression of Illicit trade in
opium and other habit-forming drugs. at
last mas taken such shape as to promise
not only ultimate but speedy success.
| a strenuous attempt will be made to
pass In the remaining days of this ses-
sion three anti-drug bills, prepared under
the direction If DIR. Hamilton Wright
opium expert o. the State Department
ana introduced in the House by Francis
Burton Harrison, Of New York. The
pills have to do with the importation, in
terstate traffic, and expectation to for
elgn ports of opium and other habit
forming drugs The general form of the
Dill touching on international regulation
was agreed to at the last international
summer.
The opium problem first, and latterly
the cocaine problem. has become a most
positive menace to this country It has
been found that, with the suppression
or the opium traffic. cocaine has been re-
serted to. il Is estimated that in the
neighborhood of 100o,00Q native-born
Americans are victims of the drug habit
In one form or another. In regard to
opium alone. while the population of this
country increased a little more than lbs
per cent In the last fifty years the preva-
fence OF the use of opium for Illicit pur-
poses increased more than 81 Der cent.
and this does not take into consideration
the widespread detection on the part of
opium users to cocaine and morphine in
the last ten years 1t was estimated that
more than 5000 pounds of smoking
opium was consumed by smokers other
than Chinese in 1909. and that about co.,
Vo victims OF the opium habit alone were
numbered among native born Americans.
Drug Habit Appalling.
The appalling prevalence of the drug
habit is emphasized in tables recently
made public. wherein s per cent of all
prisoners are shown to be drug fiends."
iS.4s per cent Of the entire criminal pop-
ulation. 2l.6 Of the white slaves in con-
tinental United States. 2OS of the medI-
cal profession. and 1.32 per cent Of the
trained nurses of this country. This
tabulation does not take into considera-
ton the widespread use of cocaine and
opium in circles which are closed to the
The three bills now waiting action in
the Ways and Means Committee are be-
iieved to embrace the entire drug prob |
lem in so far as the use of Ia bit forming \
drugs may be restricted by law. One
Dill prescribes an annual tax on ana
registration with the Commissioner Of /
Internal Revenue of every importer *.
porter. producer. wholesale manufacturing
wholesale dealer, jobber or
or retailer dealing in
opium, morphia, cocoa leaves, cocaine.
canabis, their derivatives. salts
Or preparations, with an annual tax of
80 upon all except the retailer who is
faxed $40 annually. The same bin pre-
scribes an internal revenue tax OF IS a
pound or fraction on opium, choral ana
and one-quarter OF a cent a
pound on coca leaves
To Check Tramc.
The bill dealing with the Interstate
raffic In drugs aims to make possible
me tracing from the time each drug
caves its bonded warehouse until Its
reaches the consumer. of every fraction
d an ounce This. OF course, would be
possible to the ultimate degree only
through cooperation with State anti
irug laws, but many Commonwealth
nave now laws in effect which would
work In perfect harmony with the nation
II law proposed. The bill makes II nm
aWfui Tor any one to ship any of these
rugs In interstate traffic from a bond
q warehouse to any enc who has not
o registered with the Commissioner of
nternal Revenue, and makes the reeciy-
r equally responsible with the simmer ,
Snere II can be shown that the receiver ,
vas aware OF the contents of the ship .
nent 1t further provides for the dis
rioution to State officers by the ONCE ,
4 the Commissioner of Internal Revenue 3
I all records Of shipments from these .
'onded warehouses that State officers !
nay keep track of what drugs are be-
1g shipped into their territory, and to Z
HON they are consigned ;
The manufacture of opium for smok- :
Nc is made practically impossible in the q
Jnited States by the imposition of a tax I
Z 100000 pound, the law requiring g
hat the location Of every plant for such '
purposes be registered with the Com h
Missioner Of Internal Revenue. '
By the provision Of one bill all smok- s
ne opium, or opium prepared for smok- .
ne, found within the United States c
hich mas not been manufactured in ac-
ordance with the internal revenue laws {
tax Of $4,000 a pound upon .
shall be presumed to have been inn Y
orted after the first day of April, 1909. r
when the law prohibiting importation of r
plum went into effect and the burden ii
proof shall be on the claimant or the a
ccused to rebut such presumption" C
Against Importation. d
The passage Of the bill aiming at in
irrational regulation of opium will II .,
believed. accomplish its purpose most a
nectively. 1t provides that any Der 4