Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-25
The LARD CASES.

committee on agriculture met this after
noon Mr.. Cromwell, of the council for
Fairbanks & Co., stated that he had sew
eral witnesses whom he had desired to call
to testify as to the manufacture of lard,
but it had been suggested to him that the
testimony before the committee was suf-
ficient to show that the industry which
was asking for protection was unworthy
of the confidence of congress. He would
therefore this morning suspend further
prosecution of that line of evidence and
would take up the consideration Of the
packers lard and call attention to some
thing more agreeable-refined lard. Prime
steam lard had been shown to be so vul-
nerable that further attacks became I'M
necessary to show its inferiority when
compared with refined lard.
Carl Dryer, of Fairbanks & Co.. declared
that refined lard made from refined or
purified hog fat or beef fat and cotton seed
oil was nutritive, wholesome food pro
duct. The process of manufacture was
careful and clean. The opponents of re-
fined lard admitted that beef fat and cot
ton seed oil were healthful, and if it Were
so, there could be nothing wrong in the
mixture of these articles with hog fat. To
hinder the expectation Of refined lard by
legislation which had no other object than
the protection Of one article against an
other should not be thought of, especially
as the total export of refined lard was 80
per cent more than natu.. lard. AS long
as foreign countries admitted refined lard
as an article of commerce, there could be
no foundation in trumped up charges of
impure authorizations.
The lard hearing was resumed this after
noon. VIM. Bartle, of ST. Louis testified
that he had been in the pork packing bust
ness for forty years, and mad also been
engaged in shipping cattle to the east. He
had recently been in Kansas City and
examined the stock yards and packing
houses there. At Jacob DOld & Sons he
found them Strengthening 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 1920
smothered hogs which We're put into the
tanks and went into prime steam lard.
Witness said that he regarded the attack
on the manufacturers of refined lard as
unjust and unwarranted. He thought that
the investigation ought to begin at the
root of the matter and show from what
truck the refiner was compelled to make
his refined lard. owing to the prevalence
of disease among hogs at the stock yards
He could, as apork packer and experienced
farmer, verify all the statements he had
heard about the manufacture of prime
steam lard. He had only gone out of the
business because he could not pursue his
business any longer and deal honestly.
The tricks of the trade had become so cor
rupt during the past few years that even
Il l. l, Ia Il
compete with the small dealers of his own
city.
On crosS-eXaminatiOn, the witness stated
that when he was in business, he neces-
sarily packed cholera hogs because they
were mixed with other hogs. 1t was very
difficult for man in purchasing 1900 or
5000 hogs to detect the cholera hogs. The
stock wards were filled with cholera hogs
today He had cut hogs into hams, etc,
knowing them to be diseased, just as every
other packer did Everything that affect
ed hog was called cholera. Meat Of the
cholera hog was not poisonous If the
meat of cattle suffering from Texas fever
was poisonous, half the people in
ST Louis would have been dead
long ago One OF the crying
evils of the times was the shipping of dis
eased hogs and pregnant sows to market
by the farmer. He had tried to stop this
and had been instrumental in framing a
bill for introduction into the Missouri leg
islature, imposing penalty upon any
farmer shipping that character OF swine
The bill was not introduced because Chi
cago would not ask for similar law, and
if Chicago would not join with St. Louis
upon the question. the current of trade
would be turned to Chicago and ST. Louis
would be given the cold shoulder. He was
in favor of law which would prevent a
packer from using cholera hogs. He stated
that the suggestion that he should
come here, came originally from Mr.. Bur
nette, of Fairbanks Il Co, whom he had
met accidentally and TO whom he had said
that there was more filth in prime steam
lard than in anything else, and that any
thing the refiner could do to it would not
purify it
In response to question from Mr.. VIII
son. the witness declared that the man
who would immortalize himself must
frame the legislation which would prevent
the retiners and packers from acting ini-
properly in the manufacture OF food
products.
In reply TO question the witness stated
that out of carload OF sixty animals the
number of bears, stays and pregnant Sows
would sometimes be none. but at times
would run from five TO twenty
The chairman said that while that
might be true of the ST. Louis market, il
was not true of Northeast Missouri. Not
one farmer cut of a hundred in that sec
ton would spoil nice lot OF hogs by put
ting boar or a stag among them He
did not believe that the shipments from
Hannibal would average one such animal
in hundred hogs.
The chairman-Did you, while you were
packing hogs in ST Louis with a large
southern trade. use choiers hogs and put
them into the food products
Ans. / did, and 50 does every other
packer.
Replying to Mr.. Cromwell witness said
he knew OF no reason why an inspector
should b. appointed 10 inspect refined lard
If the cotton seed oil and the stearine
used were pure The refined lard was