Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-12

purchased in open market. lie examined
the beef in the refrigerator room OF the
Massachusetts, the temperature Of the room
being 30 degrees below zero The beef was
in perfect condition and as far as he could
judge he had no reason to suppose it had
been treated with a preservatiye.
"All spoke OF the excellent quality OF the
beef" he said, adding: "a great many
complaints were received from the troops
as to the native beef"
In regard to the canned roast beef he
said he had received no formal complaints
while in Porto Rico, but he had been told
that 1t was not very appetizing. In some
instances the men stated they preferred
roast beef to the native and then again
others claimed the native beef was better,
Inspector on His Duties.
DR.. w. $. Devoire. chief inspector of the
Bureau of Animal Industry, Department of
Agriculture, was the next witness. He tes-
titled that there were employed under him
in Chicago twenty-nine assistant inspectors,
tifty-four stock examiners, fortyhve tag
gers and fourteen clerks. Upon the stock
examiners falls the duty of being personally
present at the abbatoirs on killing days,
making ante mortem and post mortem ex-
amnations of the cattle and condemning
eased or from any reason unfit for edible
use. Witness stated that, in making post
mortem examinations, carcasses were ex-
amined for tuberculosis, Inflammation of the
lungs or intestines, any disease causing ele-
vation of the temperature or any change
from the normal condition of the animal.
The inspector must report the number of
animals condemned, the character of the
disease, ETC. Stock examiners must be pres
ent during the entire time of the killing
day. The bureau has jurisdiction over beef
intended for export and for interstate COM
| merce.
Can any beef go through a registered
packing establishment without undergoing
the supervision of the force under your
control?"
No, sir. Independent of its ultimate des-
tination, the carcass is inspected by our
bureau. Beef for canning leaves our con-
troll at the canning room; refrigerated beef
leaves our control at the loading platform.
Animals condemned at the ante-mortem eX-
animation cannot possibly get into the pack
ing houses"
Judging from your visits to the canning
rooms, what kind of beef was canned there?'
Il have seen nothing except what was fit
Tor canning. The Gamer is a class of ami
NAL purchased for that purpose, thinner
than other classes but good for canning
In point of wholesomeness and fitness for
human food, l consider the meat excellent" /"
AS to Use of Preservntives.
During 1898 what opportunities did you
have to see if any preservatives were being
used in the meat shipped out of Chicago?"
If preservatives were used | would have
I'm
own knowledge l have never had occasion
to believe or suspect that refrigerated beef
was being chemically preserved. If any
such process was contemplated there would
be very slight chances of its escaping my
observation or that of my inspectors.
Il have never found any preservatives in
the water with which the CarCasSes are
washed. When an animal is condemned in
the ante mortem examination the shipper
stands the loss and no title to the animal
passes to the packer. Last summer, when
there was a great demand for Gamers, the
packers were compelled to purchase and use
for canning many cattle of the best grades"
Major Lee asked: Were you not sent
here in 1894 to investigate complaints about
bottomless tanks?"
"Yes, sir. The charger as to bottomless
tanks were not substantiated."
yes, sir. The charges as to bottomless
tanks were not substantiated. The testi-
mony came principally from discharged en-
ployes and was not satisfactory 1t was,
however pretty well substantiated that in
some packing touses quarters had been re-
ceived from the top of the tank and sold
in this market l refer, of course, to con-
demned meat"
Not the ArmOurs.
Subsequently Dr.. Devore said he wished
it distinctly understood that the firm to
which he referred as having sold con-
demned beef in 1894 was not Armour G
Co. and that, so far as he knew, their busi-
ness had been conducted honestly
'Were not instances common in 1894 OF
diseased cattle being found in the sham-
bles?"
NC sir, not to my knowledge. do not
think there would be possibility of a car
cass condemned for lumpy jaw getting into
the packing houses Our final inspection Is
made in the cooling room. We have no
jurisdiction after the post-mortem."
The witness stated his only knowledge of
the use of preservatives on dressed beef
was the reading of such experiments in the
newspapers; he never knew that it had been
put to any practical use.
Are there not considerable quantities of
chemicals used in these packing houses?"
Yes; saltpetre, boraX, etc"
ANY acds?"
mot that l know of. The use of chem
icals would not be a matter over which I
would have jurisdiction
What jurisdiction, if any, has your bu-
reau over meat shipped from here to
Tampa?"
None at all, after it leaves Chicago"
The witness said he had the
canned beef used by troops in active serv-
ice in tropical climates and had no knowl-
edge as to whether it would be wholesome
under such conditions.
Has this law under which your bureau is
acting ever been passed upon by the United
States court"
II think not"
General Gillespie asked; "Do you con-
slider your inspection of the canning depart
ment of the packing houses mandatory or
only matter of privilege"
1T is simply privilege"
No Inspector at Destination.
Have the proprietors OF these instltu-
tions ever at any time refused to extend
to you any courtesies of Inspection"
Never"
'In transit would it be possible for any
one to open the cars for the purpose OF
chemically treating the meat?'
mot without breaking the seal of the
car, and that would be violation of law