Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-13
INSPECTION OF MEAT.
Secretary Morton on the Work Of the Bureau
of Animal Industry.

Secretary Morton on the Work OF the Bureau
OF Animal Industry.
A short time ago Secretary Morton issued .
circular addressed to the packers Of meat, in
which he asked for views as to the sdvisability
Of diminishing the force Of employees in the
bureau Of animal industry, and whether or not
the inspection Of meat conducted by that
bureau at the expense Of the government ought
not to be conducted by the exporters them
sslvea The criticism following this circular
was to the effect that the Secretary proposed
to abandon the inspection Of meat and thereby
threaten the stoppage Of all o ur expectations
81 have not proposed the stoppage Of meat
inspection" said Secretary Morton, discussing
this subject today, "for the law distinctly says
that it shall 60 on. and no officer has the power
to abrogate the laws enacted by Congress- How
ever, under that law there is q discretionary
power which enables the Secretary to reduce
expenses, especially unnecessary Ones II the
benefits to be derived from the Law are sup
posed to be in the direction Of creating de-
mand for our meats abroad then the law is Q
failure. The inspection of beef for export be-
gan May 1S, 1891, and the first shipment of in
spected beef was made May %, four days later
The microscopic inspection Of pork for export
began June %, 1891, and the first inspected
pork exported was shipped September s, 1891.
SALES SINCE INSPECTION BEGAN.
Since inspection began, up to May 81 last. .
period Of little more than two years. we have
sold to countries demanding q certificate OF in
spectiou meat Of the value Of s3,577, ,44S. Dur
ing the same period We have paid to micro
scopists for salaries alone TO inspect this same
meat the sum Of s224, ,4s5, and before they
could begin their work the government laid out
$8,475 for microscopes. The other incidental
expenses amounted to GO, ,392, so that the total
for all expenses Of inspecting this meat was
per cent OF the value Of the entire product sold
by reason Of the inspection. The question ls
shall the people be taxed In this way to assist q
few industries, or shall the men engaged in the
business of exporting stand the expense them
selves? The countries requiring this inspec-
ton, and to which this o., 500 900 Of meat was
sent. are Germany, France, Denmark, Italy,
Spain and Austria
Snow look at the other side Of the question
During the same period we have sold to coun-
tries not demanding this inspection meat to the
amount Of more than $S4 900 900, and that.
too. withou. the cost Of dollar to the general
public 1t is not the intention Of this depart
ment to do anything that will cripple the busi-
ton to do all that can be done in the way Of
cutting OF useless and ornamental employees,
and that work will 60 on 30 long Is any such
officials are discovered"
THE SALARIES At TWO STATIONS.
Secretary Morton gave as an illustration of
the way in which he facetiously termed the
''bureau Of animal Incidence" had grown, the
facts In the case of the two stations at Omaha
aud Kansas City. At these two houses the gov
crnment has paid out more than $24,O in
salaries to inspectors Of meat for export, and
yet the reports Of the customs officers show
that not one dollars worth Of meat has beon
exported by the packers in these two cities. In
reply to the Secretary's letter, these firms,
along with others, say that their business will
ho Cd xha Sv,o~ A..
and that it will be impossible for the packers to
have it done ct their own expense on account
Of the "present narrow margin Of profit" Up
to May 81 last Secretary Morton had cut of
from the pay rolls the names Of 242 employees
OF the bureau OF animal industry, and since
then more have followed, and the saving of ex-
pense thus made amounts to more than
1900 OO0