The morning call., 1895-01-15
GOOD AMERICAN MEAT.
Farmer Morton Says 1t Is
All First Glass.
NO PNEUMONIA In CATTLE.
And Not a Trace of TriehinOsis in
the Hogs.
EUROPEAN INSPECTORS PREJUBICED.
They Make Out Their Certificates to Suit
the Demands Of Their Several
Governments.
NO PNEUMONIA In CATTLE.
EUROPEAN INSPECTORS PREJUBICED.

A, IL. DIX
Secretary of Agriculture, spent the fore
noon looking over the microscopic depart
ment of the Bureau of Animal Industry at
Omaha. In reply to the question as4o the
object of his visit to the packing houses
the Secretary said:
~ am on tour investigating some of the
charges of European Governments against
American meats. Singularly enough, just
at this time the searchlights of Germany
and France are turned upon the methods
of Governmental meat inspection in the
United States, and | am credibly informed
by a party of high standing, socially and
politically, that certain foreign Govern
inents are exercising a sort of espionage
over all the principal abattoirs of the
United States. The object of this is, I'M
doubtedly, to find, if possible, some derelic-
ton of duty on the part of the meat in
spectors. Foreigners may desire to make
out a case against the sanitary condition of
American cattle, and from that they pre-
mise TO reduce the unhealthfulness and
unediblity of canned and otherwise cured
American beef and other meats.
During the year 1894 the United States
Department of Agriculture inspected more
than L, 000, 900 head of cattle. Up to date
not one of all these millions has been
demonstrated to be otherwise than in a
sound sanitary condition. 1t is true, how
ever, that within the last four months,
from certain foreign port, case of con-
tagious pleuro- pneumonia in an American
fat steer was proclaimed. The department
demanded at'once by cablegram the num-
Der of the tag on that animal and the
transmission of a part of the lungs. The
tag came, and the animal was traced by its
number to a farm where it was born and
raised in the blue grass region of Ken
lucky. The animal had what veterin-
arians term transit pneumonia, i. e., cold
taken on the Atlantic voyage The in
vestigation proved that there never had
been a case of pleuro- pneumonia nor any
other communicable or contagious disease
there during the last ten years. The Euro
pean diagnosis seemed to have been made
to order for the purpose of furnishing a
sanitary reason for the exclusion of Ameri-
can livestock. The truth is that there has
not been case of pleuro-pneumonia among
the cattle herds of the American republic
during the past three years. Nor was the
sanitary condition of American herds or
fiocks ever more satisfactory than it is
| to-day.
GAS to microscopic inspection" contin-
ued Mr.. Morton, sit will continue only for
those houses who have a German or French
demand for export hog products. During
the last fiscal year 100000 more pounds
of pork were microscopically inspected
than during any preceding year. All that
, inspection was made for the purpose of
satisfying the demands in that regard of
German and French consumers. While it
cost the United States a considerable sum
to thus cater to those two foreign markets,
the amount expended for microscopic in
spection was $4,000 less than during the
preceding year.
''The number of cattle Inspected for the
fiscal year was more than double that of
any previous year. The expense of cattle
inspection was reduced from AZ cents per
head to IL cents per head. This last year
we inspected more than l., 0O0, 900 head of
cattle, and the highest number ever in
spected during any previous year was less
than 100000.
at is my ambition" said the Secretary,
'tand my duty to make the United States
meat inspection SO thorough, so efficient
anu IuSC UIdG uOG Single dHlMdl OF II
single 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
guarantee of edibility as the certificate of
the assayer of the United States Mint is to
the fneness and weight of an ingot of
gold. 1t is therefore the intention of the
Agricultural Department to give its certifi-
cation of cattle, swine and all the products
thereof of the highest money purchasing
power that these commodities can be en-
dowed with anywhere in the civilized,
meat-eating world"