Evening star., 1899-03-11
Report Of the Alleged Issue Of Horse
Meat to Soldiers.
RESULT OF FULL INVESTIGATION
lmprobability That Any but Beef
Meat Was Used.
THE LAW ON THE SUBJECT

CeIiSdtlOHdl SUITES nave ptel SOuiS tHt
rounds of the New York papers to the ef-
feet that canned horse meat issued
under the label of canned roast and corned
beef to the soldiers in Cuba and Porto
Rico To fortify these statements it has
been published that the beef court of in
quiry and the bureau of animal industry
have discovered among the sample cans of
the roast beef sent to the court for COM
parson a brand called 1.-The Prairie State
Packing Company which is unknown to
the authorities, and open to the suspicion
that the cans are in reality norse meat.
1t is pointed out by the sensationalists
that the commissary department purchased
at the outbreak of the war 100000 cans of
roast beef which had been exported pre-
viously TO Europe. They assert also that a
number of horse slaughter factories in this
country have exported horse meat in cans,
and that among the number returned from
Europe there was a large lot containing the
obnoxious article. The discovery of the un-
known brand has been used to make it ap-
pear that it is not what it purports to be
that is, prime roast beef-but, on the con-
trary, is horse meat.
Horse Meat Factories.
So far as can be ascertained at the De-
partment of Agriculture there are num-
Der of factories in this country which
slaughter horses and export the meat for
human consumption in Europe. 1t is stated
further that, in France particularly there
is great and growing demand for this
meat as food, and it is affirmed that the
canned article has been issued to the SOL
diers of various foreign countries.
Under the United States statutes, the
Secretary of Agriculture, through his
bureau of animal industry, of which Dr.
Salmon is the chief, is required to station
a government meat inspector at such fac
tories If they ask that it be done, but not
otherwise.
The establishment of inspection is not
compulsory upon either the Department of
Agriculture or the slaughterer One firm
in Oregon has avaaled itself of the privilege
and secured inspection of its product.
DIR. Salmon states, however, that this in
spection only goes to discover the health
or ill-health of the animal on the hoof be-
fore 1t is slaughtered, and does not, as in
the case of beef inspection, extend to an
examination of the internal organs in the
search for evidences of disease after the
killing of the animal.
He-iS positive that all the horse meat eX-
ported from this factory is put up, picked,
in boxes or barrels and sent abroad with
the government label upon it. showing in
spection of the animal and making the spe
cific statement that 1t is horse meat which
is exported.
DIR. Salmon, in the absence of law COM
pelling inspection at the other horse
slaughter houses, processes to be ignorant
of their name. whereabouts or method of
doing business. He is not able to say
whether or not the horse meat labeled
such is exported in barrels canned under
a false label roast beef or corned beef
and sent abroad to be sold as human food.
He declares that in any event the bureau
of animal industry has no concern or in
terest in such shipments. and admits that
it would be entirely within the law, so far
as the United States government is con-
cerned, for horse slaughterer to put horse
meat in cans, label it canned roast beef and
send it abroad for sale.
DIR. sa.mOn's Opinion.
Horse meat is darker in color, eoarser in
grain. with much yellower and softer fat
than beef said DR.. Salmon. Il do not
know enough about it to give better de-
scription or to tell the difference between
the taste of the meat of the horse and
beef At one factory we have an inspector
who sees to the health Of the animal pur-
chased for slaughter, and If any is in i'll
health he condemns it and requires that it
be used for fertilizer or disposed of in any
way except by sale as meat In this duty
he acts protector of the consumer and
also gives credit, through his label show
ing inspection, to the products of the fac
tory.
ton has been established upon application
from factory, the inspector rigidly OBJ
serves the rules laid down and condemns
animals in every instance, without regard
to the interests of the factory in having
them sold as food.
Il think, but am not sure, that the pos
siblity of horse meat canned as beef and
repurchased in Europe for this country
having been issued to the soldiers here Is
obviated by War Department require
ment. 1t is, l think, to the effect that no
purchasing commissary shall buy meat for
the army that does not have upon it the
government stamp of inspection.
If this rule was observed, then of course
it is plain that no canned horse meat could
have gotten by the conmssary officers. in
view of the fact that the government label
is only put upon meat that has actually
been inspected before and after killing in
the case of beef, and in the case of horse
meat the stamp also shows the character
Of the meat.
His Office Records.
1t is fact that 1 am aware of no such
packing or canning concern as the Prairie
State Canning Company of Chicago whose
label appears on the red cans sent as sam
pies to the court of inquiry.
The records of my office are supposed to
show the name of every packing or can
ming concern in the country that produces
the canned beef, and in the one instance
menteioned exports horse meat but the
fact that l have no information of the
label mentioned does not argue that the
cans contain horse meat exported and sold