St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-08
MEAT INSPECTION.
A Discussion of the Merits of I'll
Bill.

should like to refer to the meat inSpec-
ton bill. 1t seems that the reasons set
forth by those favoring such bill have
been these: First, sanitary; second,
to make home market for beef raised
within the state; third, to build up home
industries, as slaughtering houses and
stockyards, and, lastly, because other
states have passed such a law, or are
about to do so.
AS to the sanitary question, | would
say that in itself is is all right, but fail
to see where it is to be enforced, when
III one of the city papers that has favored
the bill L have read in one column of
the paper favoring and crying inspec-
ton and sanitary regulation. In an
other column l read of the st. Paul Dis
tilling company at South st. Paul and
the Malt House company, also what the
Union stockyardS syndicate have done
in erecting feeding sheds that will hold
5000 cattle.
You may ask what has this to do with
the bill? | will answer that it is all the
outgrowth of one object. That in order
to supply cattle for the Minnesota Pack
ing and Provision company at st. Paul,
that this has been done. Now let me
ask: Is this guarding that everlasting
cry sanitary? are you giving better
beef to the workingmen, when it is
made by artificial means, instead of the
laws of nature? AS much as Chicago is
being blasted by the libelous sayings
that she is killing diseased cattle, let
fall to her the credit of first fighting
this custom of fattening cattle and
milk cows on distilled Stops. Just wait
and you will see the old oxen that have
born the yoke many time, the poor
old cow that has carried the bell so long
that she is deaf. march through the pOr-
tai gates, to feed upon the Stops and to
prepare themselves to do the last they
can for mankind. Maybe some of the
earnest workers to pass this bill will
relish their dinner roast from this nu-
tritious piece of beef. | hope they will,
''for the laborer is worthy of his hire"
Second-As to making home mar
ket for cattle raised within the state,
Can Minnesota raise her own beef? Is
she cattle states | answer no. Her
lands are too valuable to turn into grass.
Her farmers are too industrious to wait
for calf to become a four-year-old.
They would rather raise wheat; and, if
stock, to sell the calves and make butter.
The South st. Paul house has been
running for a year, and the farmers
have done nothing to give that institu-
tion good beef cattle. You will ask:
why can't we have Montana cattle?"
You must remember that Montana
can count her cattle in punches of
thousand where Minnesota counts hers
by twenty and thirty. When a
Montana shipper goes to market
he charters train. Now let
me ask when will the time
come that market in st. Paul or Min
neapolis will ever afford to secure and
buy up from two to five such shipments
in one day? The time will never come,
because no Montana shipper will ever
market. On the other hand they will
not ship in small lots-and. if they
should let me ask. can the Minnesota
farmer compete with the cattle raised
on the range? Again, how often that
the finest cattle that are raised in the
state are shipped to Chicago, for they
will command ''gilt-edge5 prices to
become export cattle; and the tailings
will be left at home to be eaten by the
taxpayer. OF course we must protect
our farmers, and if they can sell their
cattle for export why let them, because
tits human to get all you can, leach for
himself and the devil for us ALL"
Third-To build up home Industries.
Now | will suppose that this law is in
effect; that other states have passed the
law. When will there be the need of
another Strengthening establishment, or
stockyards. South st. Paul has ca
pacity sufficient to more than supply
the demand of these two cities, and as
they cannot ship out of the state,
what will be the outgroWth of this
artificial BOOM" and where will the
hundreds of men ''that are to be en-
ployed'' find employment? If you are
to practice protection and pass this bill
for the benefit of the state, why not
leave South st. Paul alone and support
that institution, instead of erecting new
establishments and stockyardS. SAM
uel Cyclone" says, 'let's be up and
doing, and let real estate BOOM" I
say, let this kind of talk stop. It's not
the right kind of spirit to assure sue
cess when states begin to fight each
other in this way. 1t is time when the
people should say that special local in
terestS should not be allowed to de-
prive the general public of whatever it
can gain in the direction of economy.
The entire community is opposed to
such "protection.o
Lastly, because other states are pass
ing such laws. For augment sake 1
will admit that they have. | will ask
what is there to stop the s'big FOUR
from forming company and erect in
each state on establishment with ca
pacity sufficient to supply the demand
of the state where located and they buy
every bullock that is offered for sale in
the yards and then slaughter them
there, or ship them alive from one state
to another, or abroad, and place the
beef to city butchers at their own
prices. They can still ship their offal
in its crude state to Chicago, where they
now have the improved machinery for
treating it, and hold you all to their
mercy. Of course you would be pro-
tecting your farmer, as he would get
good prices, but where would
the man be who works in
your factories, who would be made to
suffers. An example of this can be
found by looking at the lives of those
who labor in the foreign cities, and you
will find that two-thirdS of the labor ng
classes cannot afford to have fresh
n eat but once or twice week. Are
we to allow this to proceed, and our
working people to be used in this way ?
Ii so, we are not carrying out the first
principle of political economy.
Chicago and Kansas City dressed beef
has been sold on its own merits. and if
nome industries cannot compete with
hem, our legislators have no business
% pass laws to help them. In the first
place, it is unconstitutional; and, in the
second place, it is only adding SANDER
Jus evidence to our competitors in for
.ign countries. DRESSED BEEF.
Minneapolis. April 6. 1889.