The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-15
THE ROAST BEEF TALK
STAND AND TELLS A
STORY
ARMY SHOULD USE DUE CARE

That Chemicals Were Not EN-
plOyed as Il Preservative of Meat
End of Testimony Not in Sight.
CHICAGO, March 4.-Col. o. NJ Smith,
purchasing agent of the government at
Chlcago since 1895, testified today before
the government court of inquiry that the
store, and canned roast beef bought by
MIN during the Spanish war were all
upon the direct order of Gen. Eagan.
commissary general. He also stated some
purchases of canned beef were made
without his knowledge, by the commits
sary general.
One of today's important witnesses was
Gustav Swift, head of the packing house
of Swift & Co. Good progress was made
by the court today, but the end of the
list of witnesses TO be examined in Chi
cago is not yet in sight.
II would like to have you repeat your
understanding of the contract with ref
erence to the time that beef was to keep
after issuance to the commissary,' said
Maj. Lee.
MY understanding Is that the beef
should be useful for the army, which
does not relieve them from reasonable
care. I should say to an extent of TWEEN
ty-four hours. If necessary" answered
Mr. Swift.
81 believe there is clause in that con-
tract that says something about seventy
two hours from the time the beef is is
sued from the refrigerator on board the
ship, and twenty-four hours from the
time IT would he jcSued from the refriP-
Grating plant on shore?"
Yes, sir
DEFINITION OF CONTRACT.
'If we took the technical definition of
the contract, 1 think, yes. My company
have never wanted to be technical in re-
gard to contracts with the government.
cat the end of Seventy-two hours after
YOU have taken beef off the refrigerator
ship and put it in the refrigerator on
shore. If there should be a quantity of
beef left in that refrigerator on shore,
under the contract your responsibility
cea SEES 2?
'"Technicaly, I think So
eff 1 remember correctly Gen. Eagan
testified that the beef was to keep under
normal conditions remaining sweet and
proper food seventy-two hours after II
left the refrigerator on ship-board or sew
enty-two hours after it left the refriger-
ator on shore?'
THAT was not our understanding, nor
was it contained in our proposal or In
the contract
Mai. Lee read the following clause Of
the contract:
1.-The beef is to be properly clothed for
it's protection and SO preserved by the
refrigeration on ship board and at the
REFRIGERATOR building that 1t shall be per-
fectly good and fit for use seventy-two
hours after being issued from the ship s
refrigerator or twenty-four hours after
being issued from the refrigerator build
ing Oh shore
Witness stated that his company had
put in the contract a much shorter time
limit than was included In beef con-
tracts for England, but admitted That
the conditions were not all similar and
scarcely subject to comparison.
Gould you reasonably expect that re-
frigerated beef could be furnished to the
troops in Cuba and last twenty-four
hours after it was issued to the COM
missary to be given to the troops ten,
fifteen or twenty miles away from the
landing?'
81 don't think we contemplated sup
plying troops that far away. l don't
think the government contemplated 1t.
I understand that the government con-
tracted for refrigerated beef to be sup
pl1ed at port stdlioIs' anu at INC 'e',iio
time for live cattle to be supplied at In
land points,
The next witness was Horace G. Gard
ner, manager of the construction and
mechanical department Of Swift & Co.
He repeated the incidents attending the
closing of the contract between Swift
& Co., and Gen. Eagan.
Edward Hoffheimer, superintendent OF
the canning department Of Nelson Nor
ris & Co., corroborated the testimony of
a previous witness.
The court then adjourned until ~
o'clock tomorrow morning.