The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-12

Saiu ne nad received no formal COM
plant while in Porto Rico. but he had
been told it was not very appetizing In
some instances the men stated they pre-
ferred the roast beef to the native, and
again others claimed the native beef
was better.
DR.. w. S. Devoire, chief inspector of
the bureau of animal industry depart
ment of agriculture, was the next wit
ness. He described in detail the system
of government inspection in the packing
houses. Under the law the bureau had
jurisdiction over beef intended for ex-
port and interstate commerce. The wit
ness was asked: Can any beef go
through a registered packing house es
tablishment without undergoing the su-
pervision of the force under your con-
trol?"
mo, sir: Independent of it's ultimate
destination the carcass is inspected by
our bureau. Beef for canning leaves
our control at the canning rooms; re-
frigerated beef leaves our control at the
loading platform. Animals condemned
at the ante-mortem examination cannot
possibly get into the packing houses"
Judging from your visit to the can
ming rooms, what kind of beef was 1t
canned there?"
Il have seen nothing except what
was fit for canning. The canner is a
pose, thinner than other classes, but
good for canning. In point of whole
someness and fitness for human food l
consider the meat excellent"
During 1898, what opportunities did
you have to see If any preservatives
were being used in the meat shipped
out of Chicago?"
IF preservatives We're used, I would
have known 1t through inspectors and
from my own knowledge. ] have never
had occasion to believe or suspect re-
frigerated beef was being chemically
preserved. If any such process was con-
templated, there would be very slight
chances of its escaping my observation
or that of my inspectors. l 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 ami
NAL passes TO the packer. Last sum-
mer, 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 COM
plants about bottuInless tanks?"
Yes, sir. The charges as to bot
| tomless tanks were not subStantiated :
| the testimony came principally from
| discharged employees and was not salts
| factory. 1t was pretty well substantial
ed that in some packing houses quar-
ters had been removed from the top Of
| the tank and sold in this market ] re-
| fer, of course, to condemned meat"
Subsequently, DIR. Devoire said he
wished it distinctly understood that the
/ firm to which he referred as having
| sold condemned beef in 1894 was not
| Armour & Co., and that so far as he
I knew, their business had been conduct
ed honestly.
Were instances not common in 1894
| of diseased cattle being found in the
| shambles?"
No, sir; not to my knowledge. do
not think there would be a possibility
! of a carcass condemned for lump 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 that his only
! knowledge of the use of preservativas
on dressed beef was the reading CT such
| experiments in the newspapers: he
never knew that it had been put to
any practical use.
| General Gillespie asked: I'm tranS.t
would it be possible for any one to open
the cars for the purpose of chemically
| treating the meat?''
Not without breaking the seal of the
car, and that would be a violation Of
| the law
By Major Lee: DO you wish the court
to understand that beef shipped by
these companies to be supplied to the
troops at Tampa could not be taken
from the car by any one except the
| government inspector at Tampa?"
| I'VE have no inspector at Tampa: the
cars would doubtless be opened by the
| contractor"
| THE labels on the canned roast beef
| have no reference to any inspection be-
yond the inspection of the carcass:
they do not relate to the canning pro-
| cess, do they?"
No, sir: that is correct"
DR.. H. G. Paxson. w. A. Bennett and
A. N. Kasper. assistant inspectors of
the bureau of animal industry, testi-
| fled as to their various duties. Their
| testimony was corroborative of that
| given by DR.. Devoire. The court ad-
| journed until 10 o'clock Monday morn
| ing.