Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-03-25
MEAT INSPECTION.
A Las Vegas Combine Sends Fred.
Harvey to Santa F. to
Buy Beef.
No Violations Of the Law, 8ut Test
Case TO be Instituted
at Once.

The meat inspection laN continues tc
excite general public interest. To-day
the local situation took ON II new and
decidedly refreshing change again verify
ing the old adage, "It'S an i'll wind" etc.
1t appears that at Las Vegas the opinion
of the acting solicitor general Of the terri
tory declaring the Law III conflict with
inter state commerce rights in 50 far AZ il
prohibits The importation of dressed
meats, and therefore imperative, proved
a very bitter pill particularly for the in
spector and the local butchers. II seems
that the inspector, $. S. Mendenhall,
had counted on specially fat
PLAN over there in tackling Fred
llarvey's A., T. K s. i. eating house, and
it is reported that Mendenhall and the
Las Vegas butchers entered into an agree
ment whereby it Was attempted to force
the price of beef up to about 20 cents per
pound with the idea that the heaviest
patron would necessarily be Fred. liar
vey, and that thereby they would all reap
very fat harvest While Harvey would
pay the piper. Mr.. Harvey took in the
situation at a glance and found it so
serious that he was compelled to take
legal counsel on the subject. This he did,
and was advised to head Off the plans OF
the alleged Las Vegas combine by throw
ing all his patronage to some other con-
venient point. Accordingly Mr.. Harvey
started out his agents to soc
what could be done in this direc-
ton. At Santa Fe lie found
that first class alfalfa fed beef from north.
ern New Mexico and the San Juan coun-
try Of Colorado could be shipped in and
slaughtered and the meat shipped out and
distributed to the A., T. 4 S. F. eating
houses at very reasonable rates, and AS a
result OF this discovery, Mr.. Harvey on
Saturday closed contract with A. Bisch-
Oft, whereby this we'll known local dealer
will supply him with all the beef neces-
sary to run his various railroad dining
stations in New Mexico until the effect OF
the new law can be established by de-
cision OF the courts. To this latter end
steps are to be taken at once. 1t will
take time, Of course, and good deal of it,
for such contest would probably go
clean to the supreme court OF the United
States for final determination, and in the
mean time Mr.. Harvey will continue to
secure his beef supply from this city, |
which will be splendid thing for us.
Thus far there have been no violations
Of the law, the dressed meat dealers pre-
ierring to be on the safe side notwith-
standing the opinion OF the chief legal
adviser of the territory that the law is
unconstitutional. To-day Mr.. W. c. |
Hook, of Leavenworth, kas., attorney
for Mr., Harvey, passed down the road |
to Albuquerque; where he will take steps
to bring the matter into court, so that a
decision may be had at the May term. Ii
it is carried up to the supreme court OF
The territory it will be at least year be-
fore it can be decided, aud then perhaps
it will 60 to the U, S. supreme court,
which makes it probate that eighteen
months or two years will elapse before
he question is finally determined