Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-23
D ! S E A S Ed M EAT
The Authorities Powerless to Prevent Its
Domestic Sale.
Congress Declined to Give Secretary
Morton Authority to Destroy It
Despite His Appeals.

Secretary of Agriculture Morton and DR..
Salmon, chief of the bureau of animal in
dustry, are very much exercised over the
attack made on the effectiveness of the
meat inspection now carried on under the
act of 1870. The inspection provided for
under the act was to meet the demands OF
foreign governments to which our meat
was exported, but the authority given the
Secretary was insufficient, and Mr.. Nor
ton has tried in every way to induce Con-
gress 10 cure the defects. The truth has
been that while the inspection separated
the healthy from the diseased meat and
prevented TIE export of the latter, the
Secretary was not clothed with the power
to compel the destruction of condemned
meat, and this could be sold in the domes-
tic markets. If the legislatures of the
states had taken steps to cooperate with
the department by providing for the de-
federal inspectors, the inspection would
have been rendered effective. But this was
not done and the Secretary appealed to
Congress. Last December. while the agri-
cultural appropriation bill was under con-
sderation, he drew up an amendment to
the inspection act, and urged Senator
George and others to incorporate 1T in the
bill. In his letter to Senator George he
said:
cat present condemned animals preclud
ed from interstate or foreign trade, are
put upon the market where the condemna-
ton is made. When a swine carcass is
found to be alive with trichinae. it can
not be sold to go into another state nor
for export. But it can be put upon the
market where It is killed.
Critictsms That Are Unjust.
The amendment the Secretary prepared
empowered him to cause all carcasses
which have been inspected, and for any
hygienic OF other reasons condemned to be
tanked, rendered or otherwise disposed of
in a way that shall effectually prevent the
sale of the same for human food pro-
vided a penalty of $1,000 for violation of
the law. The amendment was accepted in
a greatly modified form. 1t does not go as
far as the Secretary desired, but may sub
serve his purpose. The amendment, how
ever. does not go into effect until July l.
Meantime, however, the department OBJ
jectS strenuously to the intimations thrown
out that the inspection, at present con-
Quoted, in no wise protects domestic con-
Sumers. The Secretary, without the def
mite authority of law, insists that he has
accomplished much. In the first place, he
has compelled all persons having abattoirs
applying for inspection, to sign a written
agreement to abide by the regulations of
the department and tank all carcasses of
cattle. sheep and swine. condemned, ex-
cept for trchinosis in pork. OF the 49,
OO0,00U carcaSses inspected during the last
fiscal year 4121 cattle, 466 sheep and II, 10
hogs were tanked under agreements of this
character, although the law did not specili-
cally compel their destruc ton. This pro-
portion of the total number of carcasses
examined may seem small, hut it is held
that it ShoHld be borne in mind that ami
mails sent to market are generally in condi-
ton for slaughter and further. that all
animals on the hoof discovered to be sick
are rejected and not even admitted to in
spection.
Public Errors About Trichinne.
With reference to trichinae in pork. DR.
Salmon says much public Misrepresentation
exists. Swine not microscopically eX-
amined for trichinoss save such as are in
tended for export to Germany-the only
country that demands and eXacts such an
examination. 1t is purely commercial
not an hygienic-requirement Other coun-
tries do not require it and :ely upon the
people to that pork is well cooked-.he
only sure method of avoiding trichinosis.
DR.. Salmon frankly says that he doubts the
eXpediency and effectiveness of general
microscopical examination for trIcEjnae in
pork. The results of trichillosts inspections
in Germany do not Justify 1t.
There are more cases of trIctinoSiS among
the people of Germany tnan eny other, and
this is attributed directly 70 the face that
Germans, lulled into fancied security by
the rigid Inspection eat much of their pork
raw under done, whereas the people of
other countries, approaching the dangers
from trichinae, habitually cook all pork
thoroughly.