The Indianapolis journal., 1895-01-15
SPIES in ABATTOIRS
SECRETARY MORTON CHARGES FOR
EIGNERs WITH ESPIONAGE.
Seeking Cause to Condemn Our
Method of Inspecting Meats-No
Disease Among American Cattle.

OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 14-Hon. J. Sterling
Morton, Secretary of Agriculture spent
the forenoon looking over the microscopic
department the Bureau of Animal In
dustry at Omaha. In reply to the question
as to the object of his visit to the pack
ing houses, the Secretary said:
81 am on a tour Investigating some of
the charges of European governments
against American meat. Just at this time
the seachlights of Germany and France
are turned on the methods of govern
mental methods of meat inspection in the
United States. and 1 am reliably informed
by party of high standing, socially and
politically. that certain foreign govern
ments exercising a sort of espionage
over all the principal abattoirs of the
United States. The object of this is,
doubtedly. to find, if possible some dere-s
liction of duty on the part of the
meat inspectors. Foreigners may desire
to make out a case against the sanitary
condition of American cattle and from that
they promise to deduce the unhealthfulness
and unedibiiity of canned and otherwise
cured American beef and other meats. But
during the year 1894, the United States De-
partment of Agriculture inspected more
than 12,0O0, 600 heod of cattle. Up to date
demonstrated to be otherwise than in a
sound sanitary condition. 1t is true, how
ever, that within the past four months
from acertain foreign port a case of con-
tagious pleuro-pneumonia in American fat
steers was proclaimed. But the department
the tag on that animal and the transmits
SIGN of a port of the lungs. The tag came,
the animal was traced by its number to a
farm where it was born and raised in the
blue grass regions of Kentucky. The ami
NAL had what veterinarians call transit
iantic Voyage. % TSe inv investigation % on 'pr proved M
there never had been a case of pleuro-
pneumonia nor any other communicable
or contagious disease during the last ten
years. The European diagnosis seemed to
have been made to order, for the purpose
of furnishing sanitary reason for the ex-
clusion of American live stock. The truth
is there has not been a case of pleuro-
pneumonia among the cattle herds of the
years Nor was the sanitary condition of
American herds and fiocks ever more satis-
factory than 1T is to-day.
''As to microscopic inspection" continued
Mr.. Morton, lit will he continued only for
those houses that have German or French
the last fiscal year Is, 600 900 more pounds of
pork were microscopically inspected than
during any previous year. All that inspec-
tion was made for the purpose of satisfying
the demands in that regard of German and
French consumers. And while it cost the
people of the United States a considerable
sum to thus cater to those two foreign mar
kets, the amount expended for microscopic
preceding year. The number of cattle in
spected for that fiscal year more than
doubled tndt OF any previous year. Inc eX-
pense of cattle inspection was reduced from
4a4 cents per head to ~ cents per ksad.
This last year we inspected more than H.
100000 head of cattle. and the highest num-
ber ever inspected during any previous year
less than 100000.
..It is my ambition" said the Secretary,
"and my duty, to make the United States
meat inspection SO thorough, so efficient
and just that not single animal, or a sin
gle pound of meat unfit for human food,
can possibly be passed on to the interstate
or export markets. The stamp or tag OF the
United States inspection should be, either
at home or abroad, as satisfactory guar
anty of e!ibility as the certificate of the
essayer of the United States mint is to the
fineness and weight of ingot of gold. 1t
is. therefore, the intention of the United
States Agricultural Department to give it's
certification of cattle, swine, and all the
products thereof of the highest money pur-
chasing power that those commodities can
be endowed with anywhere in the civilized
meat-eating world