A BILL TO PROTECT PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS AGAINST AND H. R. 5605 and H. R. 6524 BILLS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS AND OTHERS AGAINST FIBER PRODUCTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES APRIL 4, 5, 11, 12, AND 29, 1957 Printed for the use of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce Bailey, Herbert E., assistant secretary, Johnson & Johnson, New 240 Barnet, William, William Barnet & Son, Albany, N. Y. 198 Bedell, Donald W., assistant sales manager, Chemstrand Corp., 168 Biggin, Charles L., member, executive committee, Boston Wool Trade 188 Brooks, Derek, manager, Washington office, National Retail Furni- 89 Crowder, J. A., representing Boston Wool Trade Association and 188 Freedman, Milton S 242 Fri, James L., president, Upholstery and Drapery Fabric Manufac- 136 Fricker, Edward, National Association of Furniture Manufacturing 98 Harper, Valentine J., Upholstery & Drapery Fabric Manufacturers 136 Helfrich, Karl H., vice president and secretary, Forstmann Woolen Kintner, Earl, General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission.. Lynn, John C., legislative director, American Farm Bureau Federa- tion_. Marsh, Edwin E., executive secretary, National Wool Growers Rubin, Joseph L., resident counsel, Popular Priced Dress Manufac- 252 Smith, Hon. Frank E., a Representative in Congress from the State Snow, John M., executive vice president, National Association of Trapnell, Richard W., assistant director of merchandising, textile fibers department, E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co., Wilmington, Del. – Wilkinson, Edwin, executive vice president, National Association of Young, J. Banks, Washington representative, National Cotton Additional information submitted for the record by- Ackerman, F. Eugene, statement of... Blitch, Hon. Iris, letter from___ Chemstrand Corp., letter from Donald W. Bedell, assistant sales Clothing Manufacturers Association of the United States of America, statement of Harry A. Cobrin, executive secretary, and Herbert Crowder, J. A., letter from transmitting subchapter from American Wool Handbook entitled "Reclaimed and Virgin Wool". Forstmann Woolen Co., letter from Karl H. Helfrich, vice president, transmitting bibliography of textile publications containing refer- ences to the comparable merits of wool, reprocessed wool, and Furniture Manufacturers Association of California, telegram from 141 Furniture Manufacturers' Association of Grand Rapids, Mich., letter from Stephen F. Dunn, transmitting statement National Association of Wool Manufacturers: Law and regulations relating to fiber identification in textiles and apparel_ National Board of Fur Farm Organizations, Inc., letter from Kenneth 66 National Cotton Council of America, principal provisions of proposed 43 National Grange, letter from Herschel D. Newsom, master- 141 238 New York Neighborhood Cleaners Associations, letter from Frank Excerpts from correspondence of manufacturers of fabrics__--_113–116 Thread Institute, Inc., statement of F. L. Johnson, chairman, board of TEXTILE FIBER PRODUCTS IDENTIFICATION ACT THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1957 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND FINANCE OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., pursuant to call, in room 414, Old House Office Building, Hon. Peter F. Mack, Jr. (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. MACK. The committee will come to order. The subcommitte is considering this morning H. R. 469, introduced by our colleague Mr. Smith, from Mississippi, H. R. 5605, which I introduced, and H. R. 6524, a bill identical to mine, which was introduced by Mr. O'Brien, of New York. All three bills deal with the labeling and advertising of textile fiber products, and are for the purpose of protecting consumers and other against the misbranding and false advertising of such products. We already have on the statute books the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939, and the Fur Products Labeling Act of 1951, which are designed to protect consumers and others against misbranding (and also false advertising in the case of fur) of wool and fur products. Hence, the legislation being considered this morning would extend the same protection that consumers and others now have with respect to wool and fur products to other textile fiber products. Both the Smith bill and the bills introduced by Mr. O'Brien and myself were considered by this committee last year. In fact, it was the consensus of opinion in the committee that the Smith bill should be reported favorably to the House. However, in view of the fact that it was late in the session, the committee postponed final action on it until this year, and directed the committee staff to explore the objections raised by certain segments of the textile industry in an effort to compromise existing differences so that a new bill could be introduced in the 85th Congress which would be satisfactory to all, insofar as possible. Accordingly, during the recess of the Congress, the committee staff under the direction of Judge Arthur G. Klein, former chairman of this subcommittee, met with certain groups of the textile and furniture industry to discuss their objections to this legislation. Some of these sessions were attended by Congressman Smith. I am advised that while these meetings were very helpful in getting a better understanding of the problems faced by certain segments of the textile and furniture industries, the attempts to compromise differences on this legislation were not too successful. During the course of these hearings, the subcommittee shall try to determine what legislation is in the best interest of the public. 1 |