St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-14
MORTON's KEEN KNIFE.
He WANTS TO USE IT ON FHE 6U-
REAU or ENfMAL INDUSTRY.
NO BENEFIT FROM THE LAW.

Exporters Asked if They Should
Not Bear the Expense-Smali
Exports to Countries Requir-
ing Inspection-Important Pen
sion Order Issued.
WASHINGTON, July 13.-A short time
ago Secretary Morton issued circular
addressed to the packers OF meat in
which he asked for views as to the adj
visibility of diminishing the force of
employees in the bureau of animal in
dustry, and whether or not the inSpec-
ton OF meat conducted by that bureau
at the expense of the government
ought not to be conducted by the eX-
porterS themselves. The criticism fol-
lowing the circular was to the effect
that the secretary proposed to aban-
don the inspectlon of meat ana
thereby threaten the stoppage of all our
expectation of meat.
IL have not proposed the sroppage OF
meat Inspections" said Secretary Nor
ton, discussing this subject today. "for
the law distinctly says that 1t shall 90
Oh, and no officer has the power to
abrogate the law selected by congress.
However, under that law there is
discretionary power which enables the
secretary to reduce expenses, especially
unnecessary ones. If the benefits 10 be
derived from the law are supposed to
be in the direction of creating demand
for our meats abroad, then the law is
failure. The inspection of beef for eX-
port began May II, 1891, and the first
shipment of inspected beef was made
May %, four days later. The micro
scopic inspection of pork for export
began June %, 1891, and the
first inspected pork exported was
shipped Sept. 5, 1891. Since Inspection
began up TO May 81 last, a period of
little more than two years, we have sold
to countries demanding certificate of
inspection meat of the value of S4.517,-
443. During the same period we have
paid to micruscOpiStS for salaries alone,
to
Inspect This Same Meat,
the sum of 1924, 495, and before they
coulu begin their work the government
laid out SS,475 for microscopes. The
other incidental expenses amounted to
$6.592. SO that the total for ali expenses
of inspecting this meat was 8 per cent of
the value of the entire product sold by
reason or the inspection. The question
is shall the people be taxed in
this way to assist a few industries
or shall the men engaged in the bust
ness of exporting stand the expense
themselves. The countries requiring
this inspection, and to which this three
and half millions of meat were sent
were Germany. France, Denmark, Italy,
Spain and Austria. Now look at the
NJ her side M thp onaS Tlnrinu thn
same period we have sold to countries
not demanding this inspection meat 10
tie amount of more than $4,000, 600.
and that too, without the cost OF q dol
lar to the general public. 1t is not The
Intention of this department TO do any
| thing that will cripple the business of
! the country. but it is the positive in
| tention to do all that can be done in the
way of cutting off useless and orna-
| mental employees, and that work will go
on SO long IDS any such officials are dis
| covered"
Secretary Morton gave as an illustra-
| ton of the way in which he facetiously
| termed the bureau of animal indol-
| ence" had grown the facts i'll the case
| at Omaha and Kansas City. At these
| two houses the government has paid
out more than $24, 900 in salaries to i'll
SpectOrS of meat for export, and yet the
| reports OF custom officers show that moi
one dollars worth OF meat has been eX-
ported by the packers in these two
cities. In reply 10 the secretary's let
| tiers, THESE firms along with others, say
that their business VIII be ruined if the
| inspection is done away with, and thai
it will be impossible for the packers tt
have it done at their own expense OIL
account of the present narrow margin
I
Morton had cut OFF from the pay rolls
tile names OF 242 employees of the bureau
OF animal Industry, ana since then more
| have followed, and the saving of eX
| pense thus made amounts ito more thar
! s!OU, UUU per annuIn.