The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-30
MEAT PACKERS ALARMED,
May Not Be Able to Ship Goods
for Foreign Ports This
Season.
An Order From Washington That Makes
No Allowance for Californian
Climate.

The Manufacturers and Producers As
ISOLATION has interested inself in matter
OF great Importance to California butchers
and packers.
Several years ago an act was passed re-
quiring that all meat packed for export
must be passed upon by an inspector before
shipment and that the customs officers
should not issue clearance papers to any
vessel carrying such goods not properly
inspected. This act was dead letter until
recently, when it was brought to the surface
by an order from the Department of Agri-
culture through the Treasury Department.
BY the order the customs officials were
instructed TO secure competent inspectors
for this district and see that the law is
enforced.
The order in its present form will work
hardship upon the packers and cattle
men of the entire Pacific Coast, and in this
district 1t is likely to canse packers q loss
OF about half million dollars in foreign
orders. 1t contemplates only the packing
season of the East and not the season OF
the Pacific Coast. The situation is ex-
planned in the following letter from Secre-
tary Mead of the association to the Secre-
tary of the Department of Agriculture:
We informed that there are orders for
meats, for expectation, am ounting to $500, 900
or $500, 900, now being offered to the butchers
and meat packers of this State. These orders
II accepted, must be delivered in January and
February.
In this State meat is packed from the 1st of
August until the list of January, and If the
orders that are now being offered are taken BY
California packers, the meat must be packed
between this and the LIST of January, and
shipped after the 1st of January.
But according TO the instructions and &C.
cord1ng to telegraphic advices received by Mr.
Jerome, the special deputy collector of this
port, meat packed between now and the LIST of
January without inspection cannot be shipped
alter January l. If this order is followed out
to the letter it means that the California
packers cannot accept the orders now being
oHered. In fact they cannot accept them UNI
less there is an extension of time from January
to March L, 1896, granted to this section of
the country.
In addition to this, In order to give Calffor.
mans an opportunity to compete with other
Localities in the expectation of meat the in
spectors Tor this district, and they should num-
Der at least five or six, should be appointed at
the very earliest date, so that the cattle from
next few months will be produced may be in
spected. Unless the packers of California can
at leaS II secure the privilege of shipping meat
that has been packed without inspection up to
the LIST OF March, 1896, they will have to re-
fuse to acceptthe orders now being offered.
Further If this concession is to be granted in
order to do the good that is hoped for, it must
be granted Immediately, SO that the packers
Will know where they stand and VIII not
unnecessarily lose time in getting to work
On behalf OF the butchers and meat-packers of
California l would therefore most respectfully
non-inspected meat may be shipped be
granted up to March , il 96, and that the in
spectors for this district be appointed immedi-
ately IL possible. Yours truly, l.. R. MEAD.