St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-05
HOOF INSPECTION.

That there will be a determined fight
made in the lower house of the legisla-
ture against the meat inspection bill is
conceded, and yet the prospect is that it
will pass and finally be enacted into
law.
The sanitary benefits that will be de-
rived from hoof inspection are so OBJ
vious that even the opponents of the
measure do not attempt to deny them.
Their opposition is based upon the sup
posed disadvantages to the consumers
by reason of excluding competition, and
of the heavy expenses attending hoof
inspection, which will have to be borne
by the farmers of the state.
After giving the measure an impartial
! consideration, and, after listening to all
the arguments that have been advanced
both for and against the bill, the GLOBE
Is prepared to give the following state
ment of what, according to it's candid
opinion, will be the effect of the meat
inspection law if put into operation in
this state: First, so far as the consum-
ers are concerned, aside from the sani-
tary features Of the measure, they have
very. little interest in it. In either
event, whether the bill passes or
not. the consumers will be at the
mercy of monopoly. 1t is only
question with the consumers of whether
they prefer to favor foreign or home
monopoly. Ii the big Four" trust is
frozen out, the two local slaughter
houses will have control of the meat
market; if the bill fails to pass, the
big Four" will swallow up every
thing just as the Standard Oil monop-
oily has done, and in either event the
| consumers will have to pay just such
prices as the successful monopoly de-
mands.
With the full knowledge that the
passage of the bill will simply transfer
the control of the meat wanted in this
state from one monopoly to another, we
are still of the opinion that the measure
will prove beneficial to our local inter.
estS. In the first place it will be the
means of building up local industry
of considerable Importance, which will
give employment to large num-
Der of people, and will keep
considerable money in circulation.
LII IAO HCAl pldCC III Will
stimulate the business of cattle raising
in this state, for it will unquestionably
give the farmers chance to secure bet
ter prices for their live stock. They
will at least save the difference in
freight from here to Chicago, and, if
the meat supply of these two cities is
made wholly dependent on our local
slaughter houses, the slaughterers will
be compelled to pay the farmers price
sufficiently high to keep them from
shipping TO Chicago and elsewhere.
Now, as to the cost of inspection. 1t
will probably reach the sum of $500, 600
annually, as is claimed by the opponents
of the bill, and will have to be paid by
the farmers. But if the cattle are
shipped from this state to Chicago and
Kansas City. the same inspec-
| ton fees would have to be paid
there; so that really it is only
question of whether we will
keep this 100000 at home, or pay
1t over to the Chicago and Kan
sas City firms. If the bill does not al
ready do so, it should provide that all
| the fees arising from inspection should
! go directly into the public treasury. and
that the inspectors be paid stated sal
airy. We do not want any such scan
| dial connected with this meat inspection
business as we have had with the Oil in
| spection.
The GLOBE has endeavored to give
| both sides of this question full inves-
| tigation. We have no axes to grind and
no special interest to promote. 1t is a
measure affecting the public welfare,
and in that light, and in that light only,
have we discussed it. If the inspection
is properly guarded and properly en-
| forced, we are convinced that it would
be wise sanitary measure. We are
| equally sure that it would prove bene-
fit to local interests, and we are fairly
confident that it would stimulate cattle
raising in this State-a state which is
| peculiarly adapted to that industry.
Still, we do not see enough in it to cause
any hair-pulling in case the bill should
| fail to become law.