Omaha daily bee., 1912-08-18

s
on its books as the pure food law, the
valueless provision In the former that
when package OF foodstuffs bore a
weight mark II should represent the at
curate net weight OF its contents, was
made over into one obliging the marking
OF such packages with their actual net
weight In order they might not be
deemed misbranded.
Wyoming put such provision In Its
statutes In 1910. and the other states
mentioned did so last year. One city.
Seattle, has municipal ordinance re-
quiring this in strict terms, and the or
dinance went into effect at once upon
its being signed by the mayor. stringency
In action, which no state has followed.
New york's Is the only barrel law. estab-
fishing the sizes OF the larger con-
tainers Of foodstuffs. but Seattle has
gone after the large package. barrels,
and boxes, with fully as much vigor as
in the case of the boxes and cans and
bottles which hold the smaller packages,
More Grace 60 Manufacturer.
New York's new law gives a longer
period during which the manufacturer
may put up his packages without regard
TO its provisions than was done by any
other state. When last year Connecticut
gave eighteen months after the passage
OF the act, (which was approved In July.
this was considered unreasonable delay.
In most cases few months have sufficed
An f..f,s -, ..,3..
may pack their goods far ahead OF their
actually reaching retail shelves; New
York gives them eight months after the
law takes effect. even. and as that will
be about fourteen months after approval
by the governor, the total is twenty-five
months grace.
Florida got into tangle over this. The
law was rushed through It's legislature on
June s. 1911. and the details of Its enforce
ment left to the state commissioner of
agriculture. He named August as the
date when all goods coming under the
law must be marked according to II. Civ
ing only the option Of the use Of stickers
for this purpose until January l. 1912. The
outcry which arose caused him to extend
| the initial enforcement of the law to
January /, 1912. and he has since substi-
ltuted August l. 1919. for that date.
| DR.. Reichman. the ctate superintendent,
has long been active in favor Of net
weight law. and has Joined in the effort
to get federal law on the subject. which
lis the really desirable thing. He and
John l.. Walsh, New York City commits
sioner OF weights and measures, appeared
before the house committee on Interstate
and foreign commerce in support Of the
Mann bill, which would substitute for the
merely permissive feature Of the present
section in the federal pure food law
| covering this subject section establish
ing as misbranding any package not
plainly marked with the net weight. meas
4 nre or numerical count of It's contents.
This was reported favorahly by the
COMMITTEES. but failed TO pass the house
before March Of last year. In the pres
ent congress Its place has been taken
\ by the Stevens bill in the house and the
Burton bill in the senate. which cover
just the same ground. These were en-
dorsed by the seventh annual conference
Of weight and measure officials Of the
| United States. held at Washington in
1 February. and the resolution endorsing
them was reported by committee, OF
which DR.. Reichman was chairman
HEARINGS ON National Bill.
Later In the month the senate commit
tee on manufactures held hearings on the