Evening star., 1935-03-22
ROOSEVELT ASKS
PURE FOOD LAW
Message to Congress Urges
Changes to Protect Con-
sumner and Producer.
(Tert OF message Page Az
BY RUSSELL YOUNG.

President Roosevelt sent a special
message to Congress today, urging i'm
mediate enactment of legislation to
strengthen the pure foods and drug
act He said regulation would be di-
rected primarily toward a small minor
ity of 'evaders and chiselsrs."
Shortly before the message was
read the Senate Commerce Commit
tee, by a vote of 9 to s, had ordered a
favorable report on the Copeland food
and drug bill, modified from the form
in which it was originally proposed a
year ago.
Senator Copeland, Democrat. of
New York described it as measure
to stop up loopholes and defects that
have been found during the 90 years
since the passage of the food and drug
act and to cover cosmetics. which, he
said. were not in such general use at
that time.
Protection Is Goal
In urging the legislation. Mr.. Roose-
velt pointed out that changed condI-
tions since the law was enacted in
1906 had brought about a need, not
only for protection Of consumers, but
also for honest producers and manu-
facturers. He also cited the many
loophoies in the old law which have
made abuses easy. and asserted Con-
gress should lose no time in correcting
this condition.
The President declared the great
majority of those engaged in the food
and drugs trade are honest and do
not need regulation. He told Con-
gress new legislation of this kind will,
besides protecting the consumers, out
law the bad practices of the minority
and also will protect the many from
unscrUpulous competition.
Believes Support Deserved.
Mr.. Roosevelt pointed out that every
one should welcome legislation enforc-
ing the highest standards of identity
and quality for foods and drugs,
together with strict exclusion from the
markets Of harmful or adulterated
products.
In this connection the President
ventured the opinion that the honor
of the producers ought to be the
invariable ingredient of the products
produced in it, and reminded Con-
gress that consumers are likely to
confuse outward appearance of arti-
cles with inward integrity.
In explaining the bill acted on to-
day, Senator Copeland said the arbi-
trary power last years measure would
have given thc Secretary of Agricul-
ture to make regulations without re-
view has been changed. This bill sets
up two boards: One to pass on drugs
and cosmetics, composed of five men,
bers appointed by the President, and
the other to pass on food questions,
composed OF seven members appointed
by the President. This board would
be chosen. threeyto represent the pup
lie. two from the food producing in
dustry and two from the Food and
Drug Administration.
The Secretary would have to submit
to these boards any proposed regula-
tions, and. if approved by the board,
public hearings would then be held.
Committee Divided.
That the bill is still controversial
was indicated by the division in the
committee and the announcement a
minority report will be filed. The
vote in committee was:
To report favorably - Copeland,
Fletcher, Sheppard, Maloney and
Radcliffe, Democrats; McNary, Van
denberg, White and Gibson, Repub-
licanS.
AgainSt-Bailey, Clark, Murphy,
Bachman, Donahey and Guffey, all
Democrats.
A motion by Senator Bailey to give
the Federal Trade Commission in
stead of the Agriculture Department
control over the advertising features
of the bill was defeated, IL to 8. A
motion to postpone action until next
week was beaten, 8 to 6.