Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-20
ENIED IN DETAIL
Real Relations Existing Between the Gov
eminent and Beef Packers. j..
officials Deny That the Trust is De-
fricnded by the Bureau of
Animal Industry.

This is the question which was raised in
publication, in the New York World yes
terday, and answered therein. lin the affir-
native. That story charged in effect that
the system of meat inspection which Is
carried on by the department is run in the
interests of the packers and to the detri-
ment OF the general public. According to
that story the meat trust has found it
much simpler matter to have one federal
inspection to deal with rather than in
spections by state and municipal author
tiles, and that the present system keeps
bad and diseased meat out of the export
trade and dumps it on to the local mar
kets, where it is sold without restriction.
In short the American people not only pay
for keeping foreigners from getting bad
meat, but then have to eat the meat them
selves.
The publication has not caused as much
Indignation at the department as one might
expect. DIR. Salmon. the chief of the bu-
reau in question, laughed at the idea of
being called the best friend of the beef
trust, in view of the fact that he has been
generally reviled by the packers through
out the fight that the bureau has been
making for some time past with the view
OF bringing about "a decrease in the price
of beef.
Inspired by n Dismissed EmpIoye.
In speaking of the matter this morning
with Star reporter a prominent official
of the department, not DR.. Salmon, by the
way, said: 1T might be a pertinent ques-
ton to ask where that story had its origin
1t is not new one here As you see the
story is based entirely on the system of
inspection as it exists at a big packing
hCuse in Boston. We have reason to know
that it had its founda ton on the state
Tent of former department inspector
who was dismissed some time ago for
cause. He claims that the whole system of
a N uyaS
that man tried to run it. DR.. Salmon dis
covered that fact, and the mans discharge
Resulted. Some time ago that identic al
story was submitted to another New York
sentatiVes of that paper came to the de-
partment with it and showed it to the Sec
rotary. Mr.. Morton told him to go ahead
and print it if the paper wanted. The only
objection to it was that it was totally un-
true and he proved it. Now the same story
appears in another paper.
The truth IF the matter is that the
federal system of inspection. which was in
augurated in the interests of foreign and
interstate trade is absolutely useless in the
protection of people in the cities where the
big abattoirs and slaughter houses are To-
Gated unless there is active and vigilant
cooperation on the part of local or state
sanitary boards and health officers. L mean
so far as trichinouS pork is concerned for
that is the subject which the publication
deals with. We can condemn bad meat
but under the laws We are powerless to dis
pose of 1t. That should be the duty of To-
cal health officers. The secretary has long
peen surviving to have the powers Of the de-
partment increased, but he has not been
altogether successful as yet Government
inspection was designed originally to pro-
tect commercial interests as it has made
OF meat when properly Inspected Incl
dentally, the interests of our own people
are conserved, for condemned meat NAV
not be taken into another state. 1t is all
al ca hot
can dispose Of it if they see fit"
Some Horrible Practices.
The records Of the department show that
sometime ago some cattle were killed for
tuberculosis at the experiment station at
Benning. The carcasses were turned over
to a sanitary collection company, with the
understanding that they were to be re-
duced to fertilizer Afterward Dr. Salmon
became suspicious and made an investga-
ton, which showed that the carcasses had
not been SO treated, but had found their
way into the local market. 1t was a mat
ter which could not have been prevented
by tie department. AS one of the depart
ment people put it, IF We cannot prevent
that sort of thing here in Washington,
right under the nose of the federal gov
eminent what hope have We of accom-
plishinS very much in Boston or Chicago"
another instance shows now the laws
restrict the powers of the department un-
less they have the cooperation of local
authorities. In one of the big slaughter
houses of Chicago an inspecto. condemn
ed steer for "lumpy ear" II WIS or
dered to be put into the tank and this
was done. A sworn statement furnished
the department afterward showed that
after working hours, when the inspectors
had gone enc of the employees was ordered
to strip and go into the tank and fasten
a hook to the steer. The carcass was
hauled out and sold as beef IN the mar
kets of Chicago.
J,fna -bn bod
given the matter very considerable study
and consideration, wrote a letter to Mayor
Hopkins of Chicago, asking his co-opera-
ton in the work of keeping condemned
meat from SALE and in that letter the Sec
rotary outlines clearly just what are the
powers and duties of the department This
letter was not given out at the time. but,
result of the present discussion, the
Secretary authorized its publication today.
What the Secretary Said.
In the course of his letter Secretary Nor
ton wrote that apparently reliable informa-
ton led him to conclude that a large part
of the beef and pork condemned by the in
spectors of the bureau of animal industry
of the United States Department of Agri-
culture at Chicago was Sold to local deal
ers put upon the market in Chicago and at
last consumed in the homes of Chicago cit
liens. This is an enlargement of the
public health" he went on. 1T should not
be tolerated for a single day
Nothing but your active, official cooper
alton as mayor of that great city, through
the health officers and sanitary boards
under your direction, can prevent the sale
Of the diseased meat, which United States
inspectors reject as unfit for interstate
commerce or the export trade, to Chicago
consumers. The act of Congress authoriz-
ing the United States inspection gives the
agents of the Department of Agriculture
and bureau of animal industry no author
ity to destroy carCaSses which they con-
denim as unedible The statute provides
only that such condemned carcasses can
not be shipped into other states or to for
eign countries. The statute leaves those
carcasses where the animals were slaugh-
tered. Unfortunately. many of those con-
demned are placed in the local markets and
sold for consumption in the cities where
the great abattoir3 do business. To pre-
vent the disposal of diseased carcasses in
the city, county and state where the ami
mails are slaughtered. the laws of the
United States are powerless Therefore,
the duty of preventing the sale of unedible
meats in Chicago and other cities and
localities where the great packing indus
tries are carried on, devolves solely upon
local authorities, municipal and state.
Permit me, in view Of the above, very
earnestly to ask YOUR yigilant cO-oDeratiOn