The Donaldsonville chief., 1913-02-01
NATIONAL PURE SHOE LAW.
Bill introduced in Congress Similar
to Measure Enacted Last Year
by Louisiana LesisIature-Move-
ment Started BY Representative
Picard to Become Nationwide.

Representative Oldfield of Arkan
sas has introduced in congress a ma
tional pure shoe bill,' the measure
being described in the title as q
stbIil to prevent the sale of boots and
slioss as of leather construction Whea
other material is substituted there
for in manufacture and for other pur
poses" The bill has been referred
to the house committee on interstate
and foreign commerce.
In all its essential features this ma
tional pure shoe bill'' follows tbs
wording of the Louisiana law upon
the same subject, introduced by Rep
resentative Achille Picard of Ascen
sion parish and passed through the
last session of the general assem-
bly,. The Louisiana statute becomes
operative on the first of July, this
year, however, while the proposed
federal law will not become effective
until the end of next year, December
81, 1914. The first section of the
OIdfield bill, which, after being SO
changed as to make it apply to the
nation as whole, is a verbatim copy
Of the Picard measure, reads as fol
lows.
That it shall be unlawful within
any territory of the District OF Col
umbia for any person to use, in man
ufacturing for sale any boot or shoe,
a counter, heel, insole, outsoie, mid
dlesole or slipsole made in whole or
in part of leatherboard, straWboard,
leatheroid, fiberboard, horn fiber,
pate, hideite or chrome pate. or any
other substitute for leather Whatso-
ever, without legibly and in the Eng
lish language stamping with metal
die, and in plain VieW,s=upon the out
side of the eutsole Of the boot aud
shoe where and by whom such boot
or shoe was made and what substi-
.Tute ror leather has been used, des-
sgaag ting each part here such sub
stftute or substitutes has OF have
been used, whether in the counter,
heel, insole, middle sole or sliD sole;
and 1t shall be unlawful for any per-
son within any territory of the Unit
ed States or the District Of Columbia
to sell or offer or expose for sale any
boot or shoe containing a substitute
Tor leather within the meaning of this
act without same being stamped as
provided by this act. Provided, that
no dealer shall be prosecuted under
the provisions OF this act when he
can establish a written guaranty sign
ed by the wholesaler, jobber, manu-
0acturer or other person residing in
the United States from whom such
boots ar shoes were purchased. to the
effect that the same contain no sub
stitute for leather within the mean
ing of this act, or that the same are
properly stamped as provided for by
This act. Said guaranty, to afford
protection, shall contain the name and
address of the person making the
sale Of such boots or shoes to such
dealer, and in such case said person
shall be amenabie to the prosecu-
ions and penalties under the Drovi-
sions OF this act.
The Oldfield bill then provides
inc of from $3.50 to $4,000 and inn
ent of froln three months to
me year for the first offense. If a
corporation shall be convicted the
inc IS from $500 to $4,000, and each
ale or manufacture shall be q ssDa-
ate offense, with the punishment
loubled for each conviction after the
irst. It is made the duty OF the
ecretary of agriculture to investigate
rom time to tinla to see If the law
S being violated and cause the necess--s.
ary legal proceedings to be institu-
ed.
In the passage Of pure shoe
Ill, the first III the United States,
he Louisiana legislature has set a
sood example for the balance of the
:ountry, and the 0ldfield bill, propase
rs no nationalize the crusade. for
pure shoes" should be put through
congress with as little delay as pes
ihle There IS perhaps no other
manufactured article which Es SO per-
adulterated millions Of
airs of shoes, especially the cheaper
.rades, are sold every year in the
United States as containing leather.
shen, as a matter Of fact, the greater
art Of the sole is made of some
heap substitute. This is a fraud upon
be buying public, for there are few
eople who can tell an all-leather
hoe when they see it, and the great
1ajority of buyers are compelled to
apend entirely upon the honesty OF
he seller. The retailer. of course,
epends largely upon the manufactur-
. or febberand there you are. But
the 01afield bill should be enacted
afo law, it would be impossible to
ell a paper-sele rs pure leather, for 8
toula have to bear the substitute
lamp +ian the outer sole, thus tell
1g the purchaser just Wllas be was
citing. "a ]
Next tS,spure feed legislation. TIE
stre shoe law shoula rank in import
nee. Shreveport Journal.
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.ediun in this section