SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



MATTERS OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN CONGRESS^ 



The first of the bills commented upon in this column to become law 

 is H. R. 6810, the National Prohibition Act. At the time of the last 

 report on this bilP it was before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 

 which reported the bill with numerous amendments on August 18 

 (Report 151). The bill was debated in the Senate on September 4 

 and 5, and the section providing for tax-free pure alcohol for scientific 

 purposes was modified in several respects, among which was the sub- 

 stitution of the words "for scientific purposes, or for the use of any 

 hospital" in place of the words "for the use of any scientific university 

 or college of learning, any laboratory for use exclusively in scientific 

 research, or any hospital not conducted for profit." 



The amended bill was passed by the Senate on September 5, and as 

 the House disagreed to many of the amendments, was sent to con- 

 ference on September 9. As modified by the conferees it was passed 

 by the Senate on October 8 and the House on October 10, but was 

 vetoed by the President on October 27 on account of the inclusion of 

 war-time prohibition provisions. The House and Senate promptly 

 re-enacted the bill over the veto and it became Public Law 66 on 

 October 28. 



The provision for tax-free alcohol for scientific work, as finally 

 adopted, is as follows: 



(Part of Title III, Section 11): "Alcohol may be withdrawn, under 

 regulations, from any industrial plant or bonded warehouse tax free 

 by the United States or any governmental agency thereof, or by the 

 several States and Territories or any municipal subdivision thereof 

 or by the District of Columbia, or for the use of any scientific university 

 or college of learning, any laboratory for use exclusively in scientific 

 research, or for use in any hospital or sanatorium." 



The First Deficiency Act for 1920 (H. R. 9205), which was signed 

 by the President on November 4 as Public Law 73, carries appropria- 

 tions for the Bureau of Standards of $250,000 for industrial research, 

 $25,000 for the study of safety standards, and $50,000 for standardization 

 work on instruments, machinery, and equipment. 



A bill "to authorize the President of the United States to arrange 

 and participate in an international conference to consider questions 

 relating to international communication" was introduced in October, 

 in the Senate by Mr. Lodge (S. 3172) and in the House by Mr. Rogers 

 (H. R. 9822). The House bill was passed on October 22, with one 

 amendment, providing for confirmation of the delegates by the Senate. 



1 Preceding report: This Journai^ 9: 562. 1919. 

 - This JouRNAi. 9: 423. 1919. 



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