The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-25
ton in place of fresh beef was a re-
sponsibility belonging to higher author

ton in place of fresh beef was re-
sponsiblity belonging to higher author
ity.'
Major Lee declared that some of the
inspections were so perfunctory that
canned meats were accepted ON the
reputation of the packing firms"
Since when,' he asked, have gil
gantic corporations and trusts become
exempt fom that close scrutiny that
would be applied to dealer of moder-
ate means?"
He then took up the question OF re-
frigerated beef and said
Here again, as in the case OF the So
called canned roast beef, was under
taken another experiment, new and
novel in the extreme, Of attempting to
supply an army in the field in a cam
paign with refrigerated beef. The
methods which had in all previous
wars been tested and approved in eff
cheney, were disregarded for this hith-
erto untried experiment. Various pro-
posals were asked for, and among
them one stipulating that the refriger-
ated beef should keep y hours after
issue or delivery to the army. AS rep
resented by correspondence and testl-
fled to by witnesses this stipulation in
wolves what was regarded by many eX-
perienced men as impossible of salts
factory fulfillment. preservative
process in addition IN the ordinary re-
frlgeration seems sine qua non, and
in discussing the subject with General
Eagan, the commissary general of sub
slstence, four WitnCSses-Syper Gid
dings. Simpson and Armstrong-all tes-
titled in effect that the commissary gen.
eral stated that the refrigerating peo-
pie had special process for preserv-
ing meat and that one process was
hainc faCta1 at Ia -
Major Lee quoted testimony to the eff
feet that General Eagan had said Ar
mour & Co. and Swift & Co. had knowl-
edge of preserving process, and con-
tnued:
''All this transpired before the OPEN
ing of the bids on June 10 and shows
clearly that preservative process vas
then under favorable consideration.
Armour & Co.'S bid, as shown by their
attorneys letter of June Is Withdrawn
from the files about June 23), involved
the ownership and use of the Powell
process above described and upon that
process they based their claims or APP
peal from the award of the contract
though not to the lowest bidder. In an
Endorsement on that letter by the com
missary general to the honorab BILE secre-
tary of war, justifying the award to
the lowest bidder tSwift & Coz the
commissary general said: The tests
made by Armour & Co. are not the only
tests that have been made etc.-this
apparently with the direct reference to
Swift & Co.'S bid, as shown by the con-
text and subsequent award to Swift &
Co."
Major Lee dwelt at length upon the
question as to whether personalities
had been used on the beef and quoted
at length from the testimony bearing
upon that point, particularly that of
w. II. DAILY contendng that it was es
tablished beyond all doubt by compe-
tent and reliable testimony that the
beef furnished the troops in Florida
had been subjected to some process to
insure it's keeping the specified contract
't1me. He said: 1T must be clear that.
as a secret chemical process was used
with meat delivered to the troops at
that point. similar use would no doubt
be made of such process at other points
or for all shipments where it might be
deemed necessaryAas a preservative of
the refrigerated psef,"
Rferring to the fredbility of Witness
es, Major Lee said
Returning for d moment to the sub
ject of credibility OF witnesses, we deem
it proper to say-but in no offensive
sense-that of all witnesses where self
interest stands out conspicuously, the
81 interested in the meat industry are
-eminent. Their readiness. zeal and
volubility when on the stand; their
eagerness to palliate, excuse and deny
any and every criticism or fault found
with their meats, must account for
much of the most remarkable testimony
ever given before a court. The officers
and soldiers of our army may go wrong,
the people may err. other interests may
be full of defects and Irregularities, hut
If there is anything strictly honest,
without reproach almost perfect all
these virtues would be found in over
Whelming abundance in the packing
houses of our country. Pardon me for
saying it. but much, if not all of such
testimony is like much of the roast beef
complained of-somewhat overlooked"
In summing up his case Major Lee
made the following claims:
ut was perfectly practicable to have
had at all times herds of fat cattle at
every camp in the United States to
meet any and all exigencies of service
as they might arise. At no time during
the war was there any emergency call
ing for food supplies by any other than
the safe methods of nroved experience.
It was perfectly practicable to have
landed beef cattle with the armies in
both Porto Rico and Cuba.
There was no necessity for depart
ure from the army travel ration, which
mas Deen IOund perfectly satisfactory.
Instead of supplying the troops during
this war as other armies have been sup
piled, with wholesome food (of which
there was an ineXhaustible supply in
the country. there was gathered up all
of the canned food possible much of
which had been stored for years in the
warehouse of the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad. in other places and in foreign
storehouses and falsely labeled prime
ounce of roast beef. and, we believe.
not an ounce Of prime beef contained
in the cans.
THE sending Of troops, chained to
refrigerators and cold storage and ice
houses. into a campaign against a hos
tile enemy. is so unprecedented and I'M
military that it would be waste of
words to discuss it: yet this was done.
and there was full knowledge that the
commissary department required from
the contractors furnishing refrigerated
beef that it must keep for u hours out
side of the refrigerators.
ITO fulfill these contracts the evil
dencp shows the contractors would he