Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-31
OUR PORK PRODUCTS.
Official Phases OF the Question-Singn-
lar silence OF European Govern.
meuts.

I
Washington, January So.-Secretary
Erelinghuysen has addressed 10 the
| president q communication, whicn
will be transmitted to the house OF
representatives in response to the reso'
lutions asking for papers relating TO
the exclusion of American hog pro
ducts from foreign countries. He
submits to the president copies OF all
pertinent matter found on record In
the department of state, and gives IN
detail the history of the exclusion oil
American meats from France, Ger
many and other European countries.
In March. 1881, the secretary says,
the department of state prosecuted
one examination Of the various phases
of the pork industry in the Western
states, which resulted in establishing
the fact of the entire healthfulness of
our pork products. The facts thus
elected warranted the department In
representing TO foreign governments !
that their prejudical judgment against
the swine exports of this country was
ex parte and unfounded. When 1t
was ascertained that Germany was |
bout to issue an order for total exclu-
sion, the president notified the impe- |
rial government of his Intention to
app ONT commission to examine the |
whole subject, and invited IL to send
experts hither to act with the COM
mission. The invitation was declined. |
The president has since appointed the
commission then contemplated. 1t Is |
composed of a representative from the |
New York chamber of COM
merce, Prof. Charles +. Chandler;
a representative of the Chicago board
of trade, L. w. Blatchford; two MEM
beers nominated by the commissioner
of agriculture, +. ID. Curtis, of New
York and Prof ID. T.. Salmon, the
whole under the craftsmanship of the
commissioner of agriculture. In point |
of scientific competence and elevated
impartality the formation of the COM
mission peculiarly fits it for the exc
cutioD of its responsible duties, and TO
IL should belong in agreat measure the
shaping of the policy of this govern
ment towards the pork question In its
domestic or foreign aspects. In |
view, therefore, of the prominent part |
which the results reached by the
pork commission must necessarily |
play in the further treatment of the
question by the executive or by con-
gress, the secretary feels ii incumbent |
upon him to advise that the president |
recommend congress to abstain from
any immediate legislative action until |
the report of the commission, which |
is soon to be presented before it. The |
secretary further says the question to |
be carefully, frankly and honestly met |
Is whether prepared meat products |
exported from this country are inju-
rlous to the public health. We be-
lieve they are not, and have so repre-
scented. Should it appear that the
meat products of this country are,
as We believe them to
be, not deleterious but promoters
of health, 1t is believed those friendly
nations which put forth DEGREES pro-
hibiting the importation of our meats
would annual those DEGREES. If, how
ever, In the face of clear proof elected,
both at home and abroad, that our
products are free from disease or COM
germs of disease, proof of
which might be established to demon
stration by actual inspections as well
rs supported by the knowledge of pre-
cautions which surround the raising
aud packing industries here, any of
the nations with which we are on
terms of intimacy and amity, should
by legislation discriminate against the !
trade OF this country rather
than the health of their people. IL
would then be the province of the ex-
ecutive to call attention ofsuch nations
to the provisions of treaties, with the ,
confident expectation that those treat
les would be respected. 1t seems very
plain that our policy in any event
should be to prove our meat pro-
iucts wholesome. The absence of t
=, , ,,J''ilos's in TINS country
P"i'iS"'aiiy III our |
army and navy, where our meats are a
constantly used, goes far to demons S
'trate their healthfulness. Meas t
Tres, however, might be taken a
o ascertain with absolute GER (
ainty, by such means as the commits. [
ion of scientists would devise, that our S
meats are or can be rendered innox- a