The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-13
BEEF CONTRACTORS ACQUITTED.
Board Could Find No Chemicals, But
Censured Miles.

Board Could Find No Chemicals, Blu
Censured Miles.
This commission was ordered the
oath day of September last. Up to the
21st day of December, its members ha6
taken testimony in seventeen different
towns and cities and nine camps. Il
had also received many hundred letters
communications and newspaper clip
pings from persons living in all parts
of the country. Examination of nu-
merous officers and enlisted men had
been made as to the quality and con-
dition of the meat issued to the troops
| The testimony, with some exceptions
showed that the refrigerated beef is
| sued was pure, sound and wholesome.
'On the 21st day of December last,
| Major General Nelson A. Miles, upon
| the written request of the president OF
this commission, appeared before il.
| He refused to be sworn, as all other
witnesses had been, except one, who
affirmed, stating that he would make
! his statements without being sworn,
and was responsible for what he said.
| He proceeded, and for the first time in
I the history of this investigation, the
allegation was made that refrigerated
! beef issued to- the troops had been
/ chemically treated.
In the statement, revised by himself,
General Niles said:
There was sent to Porto Rico 231
tons of what is known as so-called re-
frigerated beef, which you might call
emoalmed beet
He proceeded to read a communica-
ton from DR.. w. II. DAILY, major and
chief surgeon, United States volunteers,
on his staff, bearing date of Sept. y,
1898, wherein DR.. DAILY stated that:
" In the several inspections [ made
in the various camps and troopships II
Tampa Jacksonville, Chickamauga and
Porto RICO. l found the fresh beef to
be apparently preserved with secret
chemicals which destroy it's natural
flavor and wGich / also believed to be
detrimental TO the health of the troops.
DID NOT REPORT IT.
Although DR.. Daily swears that he
informed General Miles about the first
of August, 1888, that he suspected that
the refrigerated beef was chemically
general informed you or the war de-
partment that an officer of his staff
had made this discovery, nor does it APP
pear that he at any time ordered any
of the officers under his command TO
probe to the bottom an allegation
which, if true, concerned the health of
275.000 soldiers in the United states
army. 1t appears from the report of
DR.. DAILY, which he handed to General
Miles Oct. u last, that he then sDe-
officially stated that the refrigerated
beef furnished to the troops was an
parently chemically treated 1t does
not appear that when this charge was
made, Oct u, it having been already
made to him in August, 1898. that Cen
4
secretary OF war. or the commissary
general the belief or suspicion enter
tanned by him that refrigerated meat
dangerous TO health, was issued every
day to the troops, in failure to do
which there was dereliction of duty.
IT is true that on Sept. 20 he had di-
rected that an order should be issued.
asking for reports relative to meats is
sued, but the order specifically men,
lions canned fresh roast beef, and
nothing else. and it was the reports
received in answer to this that were
printed in abstract by the general at
the time of his appearance before the
commission and since.
In his report, DIR. Daily does not
make the all important statement that
he had already chemically analysed
any meat, although he suggests that
such an analysis should be made. He
does state that in the several inspec-
lions made by him at Tampa, Jack
sonville. Chicakamauga and Porto
Rico. he found the fresh beef to be APP
parently preserved with chemicals.
He said that at Ponce the beef he ex-
amined Was also Of the same charac-
ter, being apparently preserved by in
jected chemicals
For months, as it appears, DR.. Daily
the commission of a crime,
men under his charge, whom,
as an officer and a physician, he was
bound to protect"
SECOND SAMPLES.
The report, then, after quoting from
the regulations of the agricultural de-
partment describing the manner in
which inspections are made (and no
packing house in the country is allowed
to do business without governmental
after detailing the process
as pursued by our officials and showing |
the practical impossibility of putting |
impure meat upon the market, goes on
to say:
1.-THE commission has not confined |
itself to merely verbal or written proof. |
upon hearing the testi- |
mony of DIR. DAILY on the goth of Janu- |
airy, kilograms were sent to all issuing |
in Cuba, Porto Rico and |
1T the various home camps occupied |
by troops, asking that samples OF re- |
irigerated beef be at once taken, |
placed in glass jars, securely sealed |
and forwarded to the commission |
These samples were to be of one pound |
weight from the outside and one pound
weight from the inside quarter In re-
;ponSe to this request many samples
lave been received and the latter sent
% the chemist of the agricultural and
Interior departments for careful chem
cal examination. The result of an
lnaylsis has been reported to us in
cases, and, as will be seen
~ the report appended, in no specimen
has either boracic or salicylic
lcid or other deterious chemicals been
ound.
I'm view of the facts above set forth,
he commission is of the opinion that
10 refrigerated beef furnished by con-
FACTORS and issued to the troops dur
ng the war with Spain was subjected
o or treated with any chemicals by