The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-31
House Committee FavOrs
Measure to Defeat the
PrOfiteers.
DATES TO GO ON GOODS
Packers Attacked by For
bidding Holding Articles
to Keep Up Prices.
SANITARY RULES FRAMED
Deterioration of FOodstuffs
Barred in Bill to Cut Cost
of Living.
RULES FRAMED
spectal pespatch TO Tnr soy.

| WASHINGTON, Aug. 80. - Important
features of legislation that will give the
Federal Government drastic powers
over the cold storage of food were
agreed to to-day by the House Com
mittee on Agriculture.
The committee decided to incorpo-
rate in a bill. which promises to be
one of the most sweeping regulatory
measures ever considered by Congress
to reduce the high cost of living, the
provisions that food may not be held
in storage for longer than twelve
months and that in its sale 1t must be
clearly marked as a cold storage prod
uct with the exact period of its stor-
age.
Other sections agreed to authorize
Federal sanitary regulations of cold
storage, with the provisions that no
food products may be destroyed or al
lowed to deteriorate in warehouses to
enhance prices. It was decided to
make applicable the Federal libel laws
FOR the seizure OF food kept longer
than twelve months, or for any shorter
Period when in the opinion of the Sec
retary of Agriculture articles are be-
ing allowed to deteriorate.
| This, 1t is expected, will give the
Government greater powers over IN.
large quantities Of food stored by the
packers. Beef particularly, pure food
experts have told tho committee
should not be in refrigeration longer
than four or five months.
Must Report on Storage.
Inc Secretary OF Agriculture. II was
agreed, should have full power 10 rs-
quire reports from all cold storage ware.
houses on food placed In storage with
the exact dates, thus enabling hin, 10
uetei1nine when the food must be placed
on the market Strict sanitary regula-
tlon of warehouses is provided, in the
peiief that the health of the country
has been endangered in the past by the
sale of food that has been KEEP. in
storage too long.
mus FAR, Chairman Haugen Ga)
said to-day, the only food product the
committee has found that could be kept
IN storage for longer than twelve months
, without deterioration and without AZ
fecting the market is cheese. which, as
MI Haugen pointed out, is not an essen
tial commodity in the daily bill of fare
OF the country.
Ihe commttee. however is directing
its particular attention to things that
are considered essential to life. such as
meat butter, eggs and potatoes, with
many of the less vital essentials. such
as fruits vegetables and other products
that add variety to the American menu
The whole plan, which is designed to
prevent the storage OF food to enhance
| prices, Is based on the power Of Con-
gress TO regulate interstate commerce
Mr.. Haugen believes that mos products
That enter storage come into interstate
commerce at one time or another, and
that the measure planned will reach
a large percentage OF stored food. He
| recommended. however. the enactment
| of similar laws In all the States, as
I several now have, TO control the storage
/ OF food raised, stored and sold within
| the borders of one State which Is con
stitutonally exempt from the jurisd!c-
tlon of Congress
Fears Evasion in Future.
THE proposed BILL" Chairman Hau-
gen said. will provide immediate re-
suits, but there is danger that in years
| to come II might be evaded to some
| extent by the establishment OF hundreds
of branch houses for the storage and
! sale of food within the State.
THE testimony before our committee
is that there is no excuse for storage Of
many products more than a year. The
nations supply OF meat. potatoes, eggs
and butter does not vary much from year
| to year. and yet we have learned that
large quantities OF these products are
carried over more than year TO enhance
| prices
Some foods must be stored a year be-
cauce they are largely produced In two
or three months. but there are other
articles OF which the supply Is nearly
constant throughout the year and which
| deteriorate with storage. Therefore we
decided to give the Secretary of Agricui-
ture power TO force on the market any
food as soon as It began to deteriorate.
"One OF the most common practices OF
! profiteering is the sale OF cold storage
food in the place of fresh products, the
public being deceived as to what It is
/ buying. This is being eliminated by the
| marking OF stored products with the ex-
act time they have been kept. with the
penalty Of heavy fines for selling these
commodities as fresh food
1T would not be practicable TO mark
each article of food such as eggs. but
containers can be stamped so the con-
sumer may know what he is buying"
Cost Price Is Omitted.
! Mr.. Haugen said he did not believe a
provision would he added requiring the
cost price TO ne marked on the products
as there was some doubt as to whether
I this comes within the jurisdiction OF the
Committee on Agriculture such pro-
posals are now being considered by the
| judiciary Committee.
| The completed bill will be introduced