The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-26
IS THE POTTER INSPECTION
ITIVE TAX ON FOREIGN
MEATS.
MEAT MEN SEEM TO BE DIVIDED
AS TO the Advantages offered by the
Passage OF the Minneapolis
Senator's Bill.

|
apparently for the protection of the
good people of Minnesota, by providing
Tor the inspection of cattle, sheep and
swine slaughtered for the home market,
was introduced into the Legislature ear
~ IN the session by Senator Potter, of
the Hennepin delegation. Closer scru-
Tiny OF the bill and it's numerous provi-
slons develops the fact that the meas
ure is so deftly put together as to de-
celVe the average reader as to it's real
purport. Discussion among the stock
men and meat dealers reveals some di-
vision of feeling as to what will result
from the passage of the bill, but it is
uhought the effect will be to place what
amounts to a prohibitive tax-in the
shape of inspection fees-on dressed
meats brought into Minnesota by out
side dealers 49,
This, in itself, has been sufficient
foundation for the charge that the
measure may not only serve to protect
the, health of the commonwealth, but
will also bring out from the big killers
ana packers of stock, like Armour,
Swift, Cudahy and others. "substantial
opposition to it's passage by the legis
~ Jill 10 Sct1u 10 ne ln0 same
as that introduced in both house. and
senate TWO years ago, but which failed
to pass.
1t was said then, and is said now. to
nave been presented at the instance Of
the Minneapolis board of trade Whe--
Their 1t is thoroughly understood by the
solons or their constituents and will
therefore be approved or opposed re-.
mains to be seem but unless it meets.
with decided opposition from the big
meat men named, it is not impossible
that it may pass. Sissy .o. NAH.
Those interested in the matter will
easily recall the meat inspection law
winch stood upon the books until it was
taken by some of the big foreign meat
dealers INTO the courts where it was
ueclared unconstitutional This law
provided for inspection on the hoof."
ana its provisions were such as to
practically prevent dealers from other
states slaughtering or bringing to this
market their dressed product. In Hti-
cation, the courts held that to connIv
with this law dealers in Kansas CITY
and other stock points would be re-
CURED to bring their stock here to kill
ana that compliance would amount
to violation Of the interstate COM
merce law. a,. +.,.-...
The present bill, now pending.
shreWdly avoids that point by permit
ting outside deaiers, to bring. their
dressed meat into this state. but I'M
poses such conditions as to fees. etc.
as to make 1t impossible to complv
with its provisions ,..-. --
For example, section 10 provides that
the maximum fees for inspection before
slaughter shall be: Cattle, 10 cents -per
head; sheep and swine, each 1 cent per
head. Thus far all seems fair enough
put the next paragraph will stand a
careful reading. 1t provides, with I'M
m1stakable distinctness: "For inspec-
ton of slaughtered cattle, rs cents Der
carcass, or any part thereof; for in
spectlon Of slaughtered sheep, 10 cents
per carcass, or any part thereof: for
inspection of slaughtered hogs. 10 cents
per carcass, or any part thereof"
When it is understood that the big
meat dealers send their beeves, dressed.
IN halves for the most part, and often
in quarters, thatathere is the twentv-
i've cent tax on any other part of the
animal that may be sent on from tha
packing houses, and that the tax on
sheep and swine is ten cents Ger car
cass or for any part thereof, it will be.
seen that each calf's tongue each
ham, fitch of bacon, shoulder cf mint
ton, htndQuarter3 Of beef or nig's foot
Is subject to a separate and distinct
inspection tax. AT first glance. even to
the uninitiated, 1t will be plain that
! dealers who send their product to This
| state will be mulcted for fees far more
than their margin of profit on meat thai
has been dressed before shipment: and
meat men explain that meat Is in al
| most all cases so dressed
Just how the law-if it becomes ona-
will affect the local stockyards men is
a question. The impression is that in
any event they are willing to waive
any advantage accruing from it's pas
/ sage, owing to the antagonism which
It would bring on from outside powers
| IN the same business. Some Of the
| smaller butchers, who formerly did y
| little slaughtering on their own ac-
| count, but who cannot now comnete
| with the big institutions, naturally will
favor the passage of the bill, but their
number is small and their power In
| proportion.
Even the retailers are at loss. Thew
are said to have believed before when
| the bill came up that an exclusion nf
the big meat dealers would allow them
| to get closer to their home meat deal
ers, with the result that the prices
| could better be kept up, but whether
! they still feel that way or not is o1es
| tionable.
The wholesale meat dealers incline
! to the notion that IL the bill is So
modified as to place an impost or saw
| double instead Of eight or ten times
| that of the dealers who send dressed
| stock to Minnesota, 1T will be passed
! and will work all right. Another fear-
ure they suggest is the elimination
| from the workings of the bill Of such
articles as barreled pork, hams, bacon
and such other small portions of stock.
| What they do not hesitate to charac-
! terize as a frank provision is that
| even stock which has been duly suh-
! Jected to an inspection on the haof ar
! a microscopic inspection, after being
| dressed, by government veterinary in
| spectors at. say Chicago or Kansas
| City, and properly tagged showing such
| inspection, must DE again examined nv
some inspector appointed by the gov
! ernor of Minnesota f
Gen. Mark D. Flower, president ana
! general managerto of the st. Paul Union
| Stock Yards company, seen late YES
! terday afternoon,l said to a reporter for
| the Gil o e: AS far as I am con-
| cerned or In fact as far as the stock
| yards company Is concerned, / do nor
/ propose to take any action favorable or
! otherwise to the bill pending in the
| legislature Our company believes thar
| there are a number of points in the hin
| which are impracticable7f and expen4
| sive and while, two or three years
ago. we would have favored the meas
ure in a modified form, we feel now
| c,i,, Iaax cd to+