The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-24
Minnesota State Board of Health
Inspected Meat.
III. M. BRACKEN.

Mr.. Pomplun was asked by the Reporter
what his fees were for Inspecting beef. pork
public on this question though he
is paid Is cents carcass by Mr..
smaltzbaur, who says that he can sell his
mutton for better price with the state In
spection tag on It, But it is rather an un-
usual proceeding for the state board of health
to print inspection tags, etc, and furnish
them to Mr.. Pomplun to tag Mr.. Smaltzbaur' s
mutton or any private individuals mutton,
when there is no law authorizing the state
board to thus equip meat inspector.
Thursday consignment of mutton killed
and dressed at this place, and inspected also,
was sent to Minneapolis, and the city nspec-
tor looked at them, complimented the owner
on their fine appearance, and never looked
for any inspection tags or stamps. If the
mutton had looked off color and suspicious
the city inspector would have condemned
them right there. 1t is not SO much the lack
and need of inspection at New Brighton, as 1t
is care In the selection of animals for slaugh-
ter, and the manner in which they I are
slaughtered and prepared for market. Grip
pied and feverish sheep about ready to croak
fresh color to them that good healthy and
| sound sheep will have, and an inspector will
| not tarry long to examine good healthy NUT
| ton.
| In Mr.. Smaltzbaur's case he did not dress
his own mutton, buying them from parties
Killing here, and necessarily took his chances
| he can refuse to buy dressed mutton hereaf-
| ter that has not been inspected. He has
every piece of meat in his shop inspected now,
| and keenly appreciates the value of extreme
| caution in the selection of hts meats.
AS to the manner of inspection at this place
| the Reporter thinks it a system that in the
| hands of unprincipled parties would lead to
! very lax inspection 1t places an in
| spector in quasi compromising position
where the party calling for the inspection
pays the piper. who in turn pockets the fees
and is not responsible to the state for cent
| 1t might as well be admitted that this
place. has rather bad record for question
! able meats slaughtered by private individuals
| and nomadic meat peddlers, and it has been
hard thing to put stop to it, but 1t must
| be said that New Brighton is no worse than
many other points, where conditions are such
that the unprincipled slaughterers can carry
on their damnable business and not feel the
hand of the law upon them. When DR.. Kean
| the government inspector, was here last fall
and in righteous indignation got after the
| lumpy jaw traffic which the year previous was
/ from all indications run in an open
| handed manner. there was a stop put to the
traffic and the fellows that wanted the lumpy
| Jaw plums tried bribery tactics, and DR.. Kean
made the statement that he could make loco
during shipping season by passing lumpy
Jaw cattle: He was offered as high as 800
| to absent himself over night but he staid
with the show. and after a while all there
| was to it was the show ring.
| WHAT DIR. BRACKEN SAYS.
| DR.. Bracken was shown the above
yesterday and asked whether it was
true or not. He said:
Il can tell you all there is to it in a
very few words, Mr.. Smaltzb aur
brought a number Of mutton carcasses
to St. Paul last week from New Bright
on and three were condemned In order
to obviate the annoyance of having his
meat condemned after he has brought
1t here, he came to this Office and
wished to arrange for inspection at
New Brighton. In order to accommodate
him and other local buyers as well as
to protect our citizens against bad
meat 1 arranged with William J.
Pomplun. who is a resident of New
Brighton and who several years ago
occupied the official position of inspec-
tor, to inspect any meats or carcasses
that he was requested to. providing the
parties would pay for it. Now this
board hasn't any money to pay for any
| inspection, and yet 1T is anxious to pro-
tect the buyers as far as possible, so
furnished Pomplun with tags ana
wires to fastem them with. That's all
there is to it,
But this article, Mr. Bracken, seems
to call into question your authority to
appoint an inspector or delegate the
power of inspection" it was suggested
CLAIMS THE POWER.
II can't help that. Imust insist that
have the power and the law is per-
fectly plain on that point I have APP
pointed the city inspector of Mime
apoIis to be state inspector, without
which authority he would have nc
right to follow diseased meats beyond
| the city limits. The same is true in ST
| Paul. There was federal inspector at
New Brighton for several months last
year, / also appointed him a state in
spector without which he only had a
right to act in interstate matters. II
was he who condemned the lumpy jaw
cattle referred to, but that was under
the authority conferred by this office
There is no compulsion about in
spection, but if a buyer wants his car
casses inspected we will do our best to
accommodate him. yet we cannot force
him; If he wants to pay for the inspec-
ton. it is his pleasure, as l said this
office has no money to do it with.
There is a great demand all over the
state for a meat inspection law and
there have been bills of that character
| introduced recently into both the house
and senate. I hope one of them will
pass"