The Detroit times., 1914-02-17
RAYMOND W. PULLMAN.

Times Washington Bureau No IOi
Metropolitan Bank Building.
WASHINGTON. Feb. H.. The next
steD ia The governments fight against
me Illicit tratllc "a
Cocaine habit-lorming drugs
Traffic. may be made Win
in me next fen
days when members Of The senate
finance committee expect 10 report ia
Norably the so-called harrison Dlil al
ready passed By the house OF repre-
sentatN es, and providing for reg'str4'
ton and tax on all sales OF opium.
coca leaves. cocaine OF their deriFa-
lives or preparations thereof The
bill proposes 10 restrict the trafilc IN
morphine. cocaine anu other habit
forming drugs So that sales can oe
made only Tor medicinal purposes.
The authority for the government
regulation or the tralic in cocaine.
recognized as the worst Oi habitform.
ing drugs. Is now confined 10 the sec
don O. the pure food and drugs acl
which provides Tor the control OK drugs
which are deleter.ous 10 health. tor-
mer Representative Francis Burton
Harrison. OF New \ ork before oecom.
ing goyernorg general OF the Philippines.
introduced legislation ia the house 70
provide for a more complete system
OF registration of the sales OF cocaine
and opium IN three separate Ollls
known as the Harrison bills, which
were passed in June last and which
have remained Enacted upon by tue
senate committee.
The Harrison bills are now being
considered by subcommittee OF the
finance committee composed OF Sena-
tors Williams. 81 mississippi McCum-
Der o! North Dakota. and Thomas, Oh
Colorado. TheS, members are plan
ning TO get together within the next
few days and make public the long eA-
peCted report. So far as Is known
there is little or no opposition TO the
I Harrison bill and when the Whoie
finance committee passes faNorably on
the bin IL will De sent to The senate
and speedy action is expected. IN
/ eit-4-es The fact that the bill provides
for a tax Oh importation OF opium OF
coca leaves or their derivatives, the
law when enacted viii be administer
OF the treasury department
What appears 70 be joker IN the
bill is the only thing about the pro
posed law which might cause a hsht
when the bill reaches the noor OF Tue
senate This alleged joker IS near the
end of the bill IN special provision
which SAYS that this act shaii not ap-
| ply 10 1ecocainized coca leaves OF
( preparations made theretrom, or 10
/ other preparations OF coca !eANes
which DO not contain cocaine. II Is
probable that some beverages or sum
mer drinks have in them extract Oh
coca leaves from which Ii rs claimed
! All OF the cocaine has been removed.
I The government. through the Onlteu
/ States bureau OF chemistry, has mace
some examinations TO find out wnether
| the extract from these decocainIzeo
coca leaves is harmful or not 70 the
J human system, but up to the present
time the Investigations have mad no
definite results II is not known no"
the provision exempting the prepare
tons made from such coca leaves
crept into the Harrison bill. whose
purpose was TO absolutely kill the
trade In habitforming drugs. IL IL
can be shown that the provision was
included 20 exempt any drink whose
hablt-forming properties are suspected
Il Is probable that fight Will be MADE
on the floor OF Lhe senate TO strike out
the paragraph
The principal fight against habit
forming drugs has been made by ON
Gals OF the bureau OF chemistry or the
department OF agriculture. beginning
| during the administration OF Dr. Har-
yey w. Wiley and continued by his
successor, DR.. Carl l.. Alsberg, aided
by DR.. Lyman r. Keller, who for a
| number of years has been chief OK the
drug division OF the bureau OF chem
istry and has been included among the
most persistent DIRECTORS TO the Illicit
| drug traffic.
II * estimated that approximately
$4,000 ounces OF cocaine would be sur.
hcient for medicinal purposes each
wear In the United States, yet it Is
! known that nearly 10000 ounces. or
| 10 times the quantity needed. Is I'm
ported, and the conclusion OF experts
is that practically all OF the excess
goes into the Illicit drug traffic. IL Is
estimated that there Is imported at the
present time almost 100000 pounds OF
opium each year, although only $4,000
70 100000 pounds are known to be
used for legitimate purposes, leaving
more than 100000 pounds TO be used
by persons addicted with the drug
habit
There is no method OF getting an
exact census OF the number Of per
sons in the United States addicted 10
drugs at any one time. but various es-
Inmates which have been made by
medical authorities place the number
ut anywhere from 900, 900 TO 1900
GOO. With such a large number OF
people held as slaves OF cocaine. NOR
ph+f.e-AAfelf.- a+.A- etAaf habit.formfng