The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-25
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
Prospects of Retaliafory Legislatiom En-
specfers of Meats TO be Appointed
Charges Against Censal-Ex- G congress-
men as L0bbyiass.
Special to the Press.)

!
! Special to the Press.)
WASHINGTON, Jan. %.
1t does not seem probable that any retaliato-
| ~ legislation, so called, to shut out the pro-
dnetions of France and Germany because they
have shut out our pork is likely TO succeed in
this Congress. The voice of the sober think
ing people of the country seems to be against
it, and that of she majority of Congress. ''Too
much like children's quarrel" is the general
remark. A few petitions have come in asking
retaliatory legislation, but there are only q
few The fact is and though it is disagreea-
bic fact it might as we'll be admitted, the
American hog is in pretty bad way, and it is
| quite proper that he should be looked after. The
| recent investigations of the Department of
| Agriculture in Chicago and other cities where
large numbers of hogs are being packed show
| that about two per cent of the hogs killed are
| trichinous. Tt is favorite statement on the
part of the defenders of the hog in this coun-
| try, to say that the German and French hogs
are Just as badly affected as our own, and that
therefore these countries ought not to shut
their doors against our meats. This is how
ever mistake. The Germans inspect their
two per cent of the hogs trichinous as we have
found by this cursory examination of the past
year, they only fnd about oDe-third of one per
cent trichinous or about one-sixth as many as
among our hogs. Beside, as these countries of
which We are now complaining inspect their
meats before permitting them to go on the
markets, why shouldEthey not require the Amer
lean meats, thus shown by our own Depart
ment of Agriculture to be affected to six times
as great an extent, to be ms pected before plac-
ed in the markets there.
81 do not think said Mr.. Hatch, the chair
man of the committee on Agriculture THAT we
shall adopt any retaliatory legislation at this
session of Congress- Tho proposition looking
to the appointment of expert inspectors to in
spect the hogs killed and cut for the foreign
market, seems to meet with much favor, and
think that we shall have little difficulty in
passing bill requiring all packers for the for,
eign markets TO employ inspectors and have
their productions properly stamped and certi-
fed by duly authorized inspector, SO that
those buying it will have an assurance that it
is safe"
"Bat will not that add largely to the list of
government employees, Mr.. Hatch?"
"No. 1t will not require as large force of
men as many suppose, and as we propose TO re-
quire the packers to pay their own inspectors
the question OF expense does not figure. There
that kill ahd pack hogs for foreign market
The meat must be out in different manner,
and packed differently, and the consequence is
that it Is easy to distinguish the packers for
foreign market from those for home consump-
ton. The field OF operations for inspectors is
thus narrowed down very greatly, to begin
with. Then the number OF hogs that one ex-
pert can inspect in day is much greater than
is generally supposed, Two or three inspect
ors at each house that kills and packs for the
foreign markets will think be sufficient. They
will inspect the hogs on the hooks, you know,
before they are cut up, and thus get through
with them very rapidly
"Aud you think 3 bill of this nature will
pass. rather than any retaliatory measures, do
yor?"
''Yes, 1 think there is no doubt OF it.
think it will be more satisfactory all round. II
we do this-require all our meats shipped
abroad to be thoroughly inspected, and then
the French and German governments ref use to
admit onr meats, We will have just grounds OF
complaint under the treaty. We shall report
bill of this sort at a very early day, and pre-
sumo it will pass with little opposition"
Figyeimesy's Two Per Gent.
Nathaniel Mckay, ths well known contrac-
tor. who appears annually before Congress
with some sort of claim, is at the front with
new and rather interesting story. He charges
Philip Figyelmesy, United States consul at
Demerara, in British Guiana, South America,
with very remarkable course. He says that
in August, 1879, he (McKay) entered into
contract with the mayor and town council OF
Georgetown, Demerara to build them an iron
market house for the sum of $132 0o0 and
that soon after that Figyelmesy visited him
and secured from him note for $1,000 SIS two
per cent. commission on the contract, alleging
that he was authorized by the State depart
ment to collect such commission, and that his
influence with the mayor and town council
was such that he controlled their votes and
would make them act as he saw fit. Mckay
says he gave the note, but subsequently learn
ed that the consul's statement was
falses as the statutes prohibit his col
lecting such commissions, and the mayor
and council of Georgetown denounced
his statement as false, as did also the public
press of that place. Nevertheless he was, he
says, required to pay the note to get rid of
him. Ee says he has appealed to the State
Department, to the XLVIIth Congress, and to
Figyelmesy's bondsmen for redress but in |
vain, and that Figyelmesy has in the mean
time besn reappointed. He closes his appeal |
by saying ''it is by the action of such scouR- |
drels that the consular service of this country |
in the interest of decency 1 respectfully sug- |
gest that this rascal be recalled and dismissed |
from the SERVICE
Ex COnsressmen as Lobbyists.
Mr.. Anderson's resolution to amend the |
House rules so as to prevent the admission to |
the floor of the House, of ex-members, unless |
they certify that they will not ply the art OF |
a lobbyist on the floor, and that they shall be |
forever excluded if they violate this promise, |
is good one, and ought to pass. The open |
and shameless manner in which ex-members |
of Congress make use Of and trade upon the |
privileges which their former position allows |
them. of going upon the floor of the House at |
alltimes, is cne of the features of Washington |
life which only those who have watched |
events here can appreciate. Almost any day |
one familiar with faces here may sit in the gal |
lery and count half dozen or moro OF these |
lobbyists, ez-members of House or Senate, ply |
ing their vocation upon the floor of the House,
perhaps under pay from some corporation
whose schemes the House is at that moment
trying to oircumvent, his salary probably |
doable that which it was as Congressman.
From Other Sourcesl
The Chanspion Novelty of she Age,
in the line of otice-bolding is Mr.. John N. |
Irving, of Iowa, who wa appointed Governor |
of Idaho Teri itory in March last When his |