Wichita eagle., 1889-01-25
THE DRESSED MEAT QUESTION.
A Great Kansas Interest Which Should
be Well and Carefully weighed
by Our Legislature.
TO the Editor Of the Daily Eagle.

NCu1 dIbCllLiO1I W Il lGW III lllC lCeioOlll
why the bill for the state inspection Of
live cattle, now pending before the legis
lature, should not become law. Every
carcass that is shipped by the dressed
beef firms is first subjected to thor
ough Inspection, both by the inspector al
the stock yards and by an inspector al
the packing house at the time OF
slaughter, and is rejected if not in every
particular acceptable. The desire fol-
such inspection, Or the necessity for it,
is mere pretense, the real motive is to
guarantee few local slaughterers mo-
nopoly of the beef trade in each and
every town and city.
By the most modern and approved ap-
planes, the large dressed beef shippers
are enabled to utilize every portion of
the bullock, thus giving them decided
advantage in the market because they
are able to bring your cattle from Colo
RADIO, Kansas and Missouri, slaughter
them in Kansas City, Mo-, Kansas City,
Kan, Wichita or Chicago, send the car
cases back to Colorado, Kansas or Mis-
souri, and sell it at a lower price than
local slaughterers could. Would you
shut them out: Would you prevent
your citizens from purchasing good,
wholesome quality of beef, a quality
which is now served without complaint,
raised in your own state, because it was
slaughtered elsewhere. Would you pre-
vent desirable, legal competition and
place your citizens at the mercy Of a
local monopoly without any compensat-
ing advantage? We do not think you
would.
Apart from the local aspect of such
legislation, please consider what the
effect of this continual ding-dong about
inspection must be abroad, and upon the
timid meat eaters Of our own country.
American pork products for similar rea-
sons are prohibited in France and Ger
many. The great cattle interests of Col
orado, Kansas and Missouri should en-
deavor to promote dressed beef interests
instead of blackening their own cattle.
A similar bill has been introduced in
the state of Pennsylvania for the regula-
ton of the beef trade, under the pretext
of greater protection from diseased cat
tie by requiring that all cattle shall be
inspected alive before slaughtering
within the limits of the state, and is a
measure that savors Of class legislation,
exclusively IN the interests of and pro-
NOTED by the Butchers National assccia-
ton, who desire to make monopoly Of
the slaughtering of cattle and
TO create popular prejudice
against the dressed beef interest
that they charge with being monopoly,
while the fact remains undenied and I'M
deniable that the facilities for slaughter
ing cattle in the west are SO much SUI
perior and the economy so much greater,
and the methods of distribution so vastly
better, and the prices at which good beef
is sold so much lower than formerly,
that this industry has increased the con-
sumption of beef in all large communi-
ties, and the masses of the people have
been greatly benefited.
Dressed beef is essentially the work
ingnans friend, and the workingman is
friendly to it, recognizing the benefits
he is deriving.
The following article, published in the
Wichita EAGLE of January 16. 1889, en-
titled "Kansus Cattle Interests "A
Word to Our Law Makers at Topeka" is
to the point:
''The local butchers of Pennsylvania, or
more properly speaking, Philadelphia,
some time since in their own interests and
in opposition to western beef started an
agitation in favor of local inspection of all
live cattle intended for food. The cry was
taken up by butchers in number of
states, until in many instances local au-
thorities passed ordinances TO meet the de-
mands of the butchers in that particular.
OF this last we have no complaint to make
II any community concludes that it it is
more TO their interests to support the local
butcher than TO have cheep meat for their
people, and their people are satisfied with
such an order of things, it probably does
not become any one else to complain.
Such communities are simply paying their
good money to sustain what they happen
TO consider an important local interest.
But this question is liable 10 take
wider scope of far reaching consequences.
Il is known that Pennsylvania agitation,
and the false showings made in pursuance
of sustaining that agitation resulted IN
the raising of a committee of inquiry by
the United States senate. Now we learn
that a bill is to be introduced in the Kan
sas legislature for the purpose of control
ling the matter as a state matter, and by
the state If care Is not exercised, the
cattle interests OF Kansas will get such a
back set as viii fairly make our farmers
and stock raisers groan. The first result
lNa .nn+ laryf el.,rr
once say that il Kansas as state is afraid
of her own meats, then the quicker we
pass similar law, the sooner viii the
health of our people be protected. With
such law on the statute books of a ma
jority OF the eastern states, what would
become of the markets for Kansas and
and other western cattle? There
the beeves of the west were sent
around here and there in pairs and dozens
TO the scattered local markets, which pro-
cess would rum the price Of live stock
throughout the west TO the producer in
freight charges.
This is not said as against the demand
for wholesome meats. Every member of
the Kansas legislature is intelligent
enough TO understand the animus of this
inspection move. 1t comes from the local
butchers. SO long as it is LETT to the lndi-
Vldual communities OF the several states,
and is not made state matter, there is
not likely to be a counter move made by
other states, which counter move would
directly aud Immediately affect the price
OF our cattle. The cry of diseased meat is
for the most part purely pretense. If
there be any ground for any such COM
plant, then let the state have law where
by a state inspector may be appointed fer
each packing center, but great care will
have to be exercised, or any law
passed on the subject will prove
a burthen TO the Kansas farmer and Kan
sas stockman. and live stock is the great
est source of income to Kansas today. If