Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-19
"Truth IN Fabric" Bill
Two Views of the Measure
Offered for Public Information.
(From the New York Times.)
To the Editor of the New York Times:

Let ME say few words at this time in re-
gard to the Truth in Fabric" bill.
This bill in my estimation is more important
than most people realize, and had this bill been
passed six years ago the government would have
been greatly handicapped in making war neces-
saries if the quantities upon quantities OF re-
worked wool were not used.
Should this bill be passed, it would immedi-
ately discourage the by-product industry and
make the cost of wool in clothing manufacture
almost prohibitive
/ personally know of fabrics that have been
made of by-products which were better and
more suitable for wear than that product those
particular virgin wool experts" ever made.
Certain by-products, which are used in sweet
ening, such as slubbing waste and similar stocks.
could not be used if the Truth in Fabric" bill
becomes a law, because it is labeled by
product by this bill and would not be con-
sidered virgin wool.
Noi1s and garneted stock are also of great
garments or any clothing which goes next to
the body. To place this valuable stock under
the Truth in Fabric" bill, Australian WOOL
under prohibitive prices, would have to be used
as a substitute. ,e
With conditions as they are today, fine wool
underwear would have to be sold for twice the
price it is commanding because of the scarcity
of the proper wools for its manufacture; also
on account of this bill making the proper raw
stock for this garment undesirable in the eyes
of the public who do not understand its manu-
facture.
If census were to be taken of every wooden
mill you would find that at least 90 per cent of
them use by-products.
There millions upon millions of by
products which would go to waste annually to
help pile on the extravaganza and waste which
we must now STOP and would burden the ulti-
mate consumer and greatly increase the cost OF
living B. HARRISON COHAN.
Boston, July 9. 1921.
To the Editor of the New York Times:
The object of the Truth in Fabric" bill is
to compel the manufacturers of woolen cloth
to so mark their goods that the consumer will
know whether he is buying pure virgin wool
previously unused, or whether he is buying what
is called, somewhat deceptvely, "al wool"
which may contain high percentage of shoddy
or reworked wool. The origin of such reworked
wool is always doubtful. 1t has either been
used in garments or in some other wooden goods
previous to being reworked. Tattered remnants
OF old clothes gathered up. reworked, and
sold over again as many as eight times, always
under the unconvincng title of "al WOOL" =
Truth-in-fabric legislation is based on the
we'll established principle upon which the food
and drugs act is based. 1t is certainly of great
Importance to consumers to know what they
are buying, whether it is butter or oeonar-
garine, or what the composition of foods in
packages really is, and it is Of equal importance
to know whether the clothes we buy are made
of pure virgin wool, or how much, if any, shoddy
they contain.
Farmers I have talked with on the matter
have desire for class legislation. In any case,
they know they never could get it, even if they
wanted it. Farmers are taking large view of
these questions, and it. seems to them quite
proper to state their views as farmers on ques-
tons relating to finance, taxation and other leg
islative matters without presuming for one mo-
ment that theirs will be the only viewpoint con-
sidered. K. D. SCOTT,
Warren County Farm Bureau Manager.
Warrensburg. N. Y. July 2. 1921.