Evening star., 1933-12-03
IRRITATING CONTROL HELD
HARMFUL in LIQUOR WAR
Only Tends Toward More Police and Sup
preston, and Shows Americas Ina
bility to Learn From Experience. ~

|
at the closing of the last session of
Congress. Its purpose is to moderniZe
and strengthen the present food and
drugs act which was enacted in 1906
and which. because of the great strides
made in modern commercial practices
! in the last 27 years, is now no longer
an effective instrument for consumer
protection
Thus FAY. most descriptions Of the
bill have been very sketchy. Its fea-
lures have been distorted and obscured
by 8 smoke screen Of adverse propa-
ganda launched by those interests
which. believing that the revisions are
detrimental to the welfare of their bust
| nesses. have brought a great deal OF
pressure to bear upon their advertising
| upon newspapers and magazines carry
ing such accounts. Consequently, the
group which will benefit most by its
successful passage-the consumers
knows very little about the bill or its
| provisions.
The revision preserves the best fea-
lures Of the existing act and contains,
among others, the following five out
standing additions:
l. Control of advertising.
2. Control of cosmetics.
3. Requirements for definitely In
formative labels.
4. Control of mechanical devices used
in the treatment of disease.
5. Authority to promulgate defini-
tons and standards for foods
In 1906, when the present act was
drafted, truthful labelling appeared to
offer sufficient protection for the con-
sumer against dangerous products and
no provision for the control Of other
forms Of advertising was included, the
theory being that, II manufacturer was
prohibited from making false claims for
worthless product on his labels, the
demand for 1t would disappear, and he
would be forced to withdraw 1t from the
market The result Of this omission,
however, has been that manufacturers
have merely transferred their menda-
ciouS claims from labels to advertising.
The provision Of the new bill which pro-
hibitS false advertising of foods, drugs
and cosmetics will stamp out these
abuses and stop UP the gap in the pres
ent law.
Cosmetics Control Lack.
No measures for controlling the sale
OF cosmetics were provided for in the
act of 1906, except in those rare cases
"--SAN ANSSAAA-S bColo ClduUS,
because at the time the law was passed
the cosmetic industry was compara-
lively unimportant. It has grown hugely
now, however, and the unrestricted dis
tribution OF harmful cosmetics, such as
hair dyes, skin bleaches and freckle re-
movers containing mercury, lead and
other poisonous ingredients, indicates
an urgent need for protective restraint
which the new bill is intended to supply.
In the case Of labelling, the experience
OF the Food and Drug Administration
has been that, because of their negative
character, the requirements of the ex-
lsting law for label control have been
largely inadequate for consumer pro-
lection. False and misleading state
ments are prohibited, but positive and
informative labels are not required
Under the new bill, provision is made
for disclosure on the label Of sufficient
facts to enable the consumer to know
what he is buying, whether or not it
can possibly harm him, and Just how
he may use it with safety.
Mechanical devices for the treatment
OF disease are not specifically defined
in the present law and as a result the
market is replete with devices for the
treatment of many conditions-of which
tuberculosis is a striking example
for which there is no effective mechan-
lcal cure. The necessity for legal con-
troll of devices of this sort is self-evi-
dent.
The economic welfare as well as the
health of the consumer will be affected
by the provision of the new bill which
authorizes the Department of Agricul-
ture to establish food standards having
the force and effect of law. At present
food standards disseminated by the de-
partment are merely advisory and their
observance by manufacturers Is optional
From this deficiency IN the present law
have arisen the practices Of unethical
food manufacturers in adulterating fruit
jams with excessive proportions of sugar
and sirup. oysters with water, and ice
cream with air, and the consumer. hav-
ing no official guidance to protect him
paying as much ior initiative and adul-
terated products as he does for the pure
genuine articles.
Finally, but no less important. are
the provisions which authorize the
Secretary of Agriculture, after securing
expert advice, to fix safe tolerance for
added poiSonS in foods; to require per-
mitS for the manufacture of foods which
may be injurious and against which the
public cannot be effectively protected by
other provisions of the bill; to impose
heavier penalties for infractions of the
law, and to stop violations by injunc-
ton proceedings.
Hearings on the bill are scheduled to
be held on December and 8. Senator
Copeland, chairman of the subcommittee
of the Committee on Commerce, to
which the bill was referred for report,
will preside. The public is invited to
attend and any one desiring to be heard
is required to secure permission from
Senator Copeland in advance Of the
date set for the meetings.
(Copyright, 1881