Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-07-14
ANIMAL INCIDENCE
Secretary Morton's Name for
One of His Bureaus,
INSPECTION OF MEATS A FAILURE

So Says the Nebraska Member Of the Cabi-
net-Costs Per Cent. of the Exporta-
tions to Do the Inspectinc-Lochren Is
sues Another Rule of Interest to Those
Who Want Pensions-Treasury Construc-
ton OF the Sherman Law.
WASHINGTON, July IA short time ago
Secretary Morton issued circular ad-
Dire sed to the packers of meat in which he
asked for views as to the advisability of
diminishing the force of employees in the
bureau Of animal industry. and whether or
not the inspection of meat conducted by
the bureau at the expense Of the govern
ment ought not 20 be conducted by the ex-
porters themselves. The criticism follow
ing this circular was to the effect that the
secretary proposed to aba-S On the inspec-
ton Of meat, and thereby threatened the
stoppage Of al expectations
says the Law la Failure.
Il have not proposed the stoppa-e of
meat inspection said Secretary Morton,
discussing this subject, "for the law dis
tinctly says that it shall 20 on and no
officer has the power to abrogate the laws
enacted by congress. However. under
that law there is discretionary power
which enables the secretary to reduce ex-
penses, especially unnecessary ones. If
the benefits 20 be derived from the law
are supposed TO he in the direction of Gre
ating demand for our meats abroad, then
the law is failure. The inspection of
beef for export began May Is, 1891. and the
first shipment of inspected beef was made
May % four days later. The microscopic
inspection of pork for export began June
q, 1891, and the first inspected pork ex-
ported was shipped Sept. ). 1891
Costs Per Cent of the Exports
~Slnce inspection began, up to May 81
last, period of little more than two
years, we have sold to countries demand
ing certificate CT inspection meat of the
value of 4.555,+i3. During the same
period we have paid TO microscopes for
salaries alone. 10 inspect this same meat
the sum Of 1924. 495. and before they could
begin their work the government laid out
SAD for microscopes. The other inciden-
tai expenses amounted 10 $6.39r,. so that
the total for all expenses Of inspecting this
meat was ; per cent of the value of the en-
tire product sold by reason Of the inspec-
ton
''Bureau of Animal IndoIence."
The countries requiring this inspection,
and to which this meat was sent, are Ger
many, France. Denmark, Italy, Spain and
Austria Now look at the other side of the
question. During the same period we
have sold TO countries not demanding this
inspection meat to the amount of more
than s94, 600, 600 and that, too. without the
cost Of a dollar to the general public"
Secretary Morton gave as an illustration
of the way in which, as he facetiously
termed it, the bureau of animal in
doience" had grown, the facts in the case
of the two stations at Omaha and Kansas
City.
Say Their Business Will BE Ruined.
AT these two houses the government has
paid out more than S24, 600 in salaries to
inspectors of meat for export, and yet the
reports of the customs officers show that
not 81 worth of meat has been exported by
the packers in these two cities. In reply
to the secretary's letters these firms, along
with others, say that their business will be
ruined if the inspection is done away with,
and that it will be impossible for the pack
ers to have it done at their own expense on
account of the present narrow margin of
profit