The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-25
THE LARD INQUIRY.

Startling Testimony as the Manner In
Which the ''Prime steam' Article Is Made.
WASHINGTON, March 25.-When the House
committee agriculture met, this afternoon,
Mr.. Cromwell of counsel for Fairbanks & Co.,
stated that he had several witnesses whom he
had desired TO call 60 testify as to the manufact-
ure of lard, but it had been suggested TO him
that the testimony before the committee was
sufficient to show that the industry which was
asking for protection was unworthy of the con-
hdence Of Congress- He would therefore
this morning, suspend the further prosecution
OF that line of evidence and would drop the con-
side ration Of packers lard, and call attention to
something more agreeabie-refined lard. Prime
steam lard had been shown to be vulnerable
that further attacks upon it became unneces-
sary TO prove its iDferiority when compared
with refined lard Carl Drler, of Fairbanks d
Co., declared that refined lard made from re-
fined purified hog fat, or beet fat and cotton
Reed oil. was nutritive. wholesome food prod
net. The process OF manufacture careful
And elean. The opponents of refined lard
admitted that beef fat and cotton-seed oil were
healthtu and if they were so. there
could be nothing wrong in an admixture of
these articles with hog fat. To injure the ex-
poFtation of refined lard by legislation which
had no other object than the protection of ar
eiclea against another. should not be thought of,
and especially the total export of refined lard
was about 30 per cent. more than that of the
mitted refined lard as an article Of commerce,
there could be no foundation in the trumped-up
charges of impure authorizations
VIM. y. BRrtle, of st. Lonis, testified that he
had been in the pork-packiug business for forty
years and had also been engaged in shipping
cattle to the East He had recently been in
Kansas City and examined the stockyards and
packing houses there. AT Jacob Dale g Sons
he had found them slauehtering great many
diseased hogs, most OF them suffering from what
was known as cholera. One of the firm told
him that but little white grease was made
now, and also that his foreman had recently
bought 2. 200 smothered hogs which were put
into the tanks and went into prime steam
lard. The witness said that he regarded
the attack ON the manufacturers of renned
lard unjust and unwarranted. He thought
that the Investigation ought 10 begin at the root
Of the matter, and show from what truck the
re6ner was compelled to make his refined lard.
owing 70 the prevalence of disease among hogs
NJ the stoekyards He could. pork packer
and experienced farmer verify all the state
ments he had heard about the manufacture of
prime steam lard. He had only gone out of the
business because he could not pnr
deal honestly The tricks OF the
trade had become so corrupt during the past
few years that even in bis order-trade with the
South he could not compete with the small
dealers Of his own city. On cross-examination
che witness stated that when he in business
he necessarily packed cholera hogs. because
tkey were mixed with other hogs. 1t very
difncult for man, in purchasing 2, 600 or 5000
hogs. 20 detect tho cholera hogs The stock
yards we're filed with cholera hogs to day He
had cut hogs. into hams etc, knowing them to
be diseased, just as every other packer did
Eg9rYshing that Affected TIE hog was called chol-