The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-08
GERMANY FIGHTS OUR MEAT.
Exclusion Acts as boomerang to Hei
Own SubiecIs,

Own Subjecrs.
Berlin, Dec. 5.-The Imperial Meat
Inspection bill. which was introduced
in the reichstag early in the session,
is now taking a surprising turn.
The agrarians themselves, for whose
special benefit the bill was intended,
now strongly object to it, unless, as
they assert it is greatly altered
They find that the bill in its present
form cuts them nearly as much as II
does the American meat importers in
asmuch as it provides for a rigid in
spection of their own meat when 1t is
brought to market, and for it's rejec-
ton or confiscation if it Is found to be
diseased.
Therefore, since there is an enor-
nous amount of disease in German
cattle and swine, as shown by official
statistics and the regular publications
of the Reichsanzeiger, all this win hit
them hard unless the government will
agree to reimburse the owners of con-
fiscated or rejected meats.
Strong pressure has been brought to
bear on the imperial governmtnt to in
ser t. clause in the bill providing in
demnity for domestic owners, and over
this clause a wrangle is now proceed
ing between the various German gov.
ernments.
Prussia favors moderate indempities,
while the other German states are
nearly all against them.
Agreement on this important point
appears to be extremely doubtful, and,
therefore, there is a strong possibility
of the bill not reaching the reichstag
this season.
1t is also certain that the Center.
without whose votes the bill cannot
pass, is divided on the subject. The
majority, representing the industrial
districts of the Rhine and Westphalia,
refuse to vote for any such bill.
In the meanwhile the Agrarian press
continues it's warfare on all American
meat its main organ, the Deutsche
Tage Zeitung, and the Hamburger Ma
chrichten advocating the total exclus-
ion of all American canned meats and
sausages.
In strange contrast with this is a mo-
mortal about the meat famine, drawn
up by the municipality of Berlin, which
proves that the German breeders do
not raise enough cattle and pigs to
satisfy the needs of the nation and that
the systematic exclusion of foreign cat
tie and swine has lowered the quality
of the meat brought to the market and
has heightened the price to such an
extent that horse and even dog meat
has become staple with the poorer
classes in certain districts, and notably
in the large cities.
The memorial also proves that the
meat consumption of Berlin has de-
creased since the rigid exclusion of for
eign meats.
The German Agrarian press, on the
other hand, publishes alleged official
statistics to show that the import of
American pork increased enormously
during the current year and may reach
the figures of 1897.
One of the largest Berlin wholesale
dealers writes to the Vossiche Zeit-
ung, saying that the statement in the
Agrarian press that much of the i'm
ported American flour is adulterated
is utterly untrue.
He adds that not q single case of
adulteration has been discovered in
the Berlin market
German dealers in America have also
forwarded TO the Imperial Hygenic
Bureau a protest against these preiu-
dicial statements.