The record-union., 1899-01-08

Each of the Federal Governments Having
Already Considered II.
The Task Of Agreeing to It's
Final Form Proved Difficult to
the South German Governments,
Who Opposed Being Saddled
With the Expense Merely Be-
cause It Was the Wish Of Prus-
STA.

cause It Was the Wish Of Prus-
STA.
| Copyrighted, 1899. by Associated Press.]
BERLIN, Jan. THE imperial meat
| inspection bill is again one of the fore
most subjects discussed by German
newspapers. This measure early in the
week was finally passed by the Prus-
sian Cabinet, and has gone to the
Bundesrath. which, 1t is understood,
will make short work of it, as each of
the Federal Governments has already
considered it, and the present shape of
the bill is virtually the result of mutual
concessions made by the several Gov
ernments.
From an authoritative source it is
learned that the task of agreeing to
its final form proved very difficult to
the South German Governments, and
especially Wurtemburg and Bavaria,
which originally opposed any such leg
islation, since they thus far have not
been saddled with trichinosis inspec-
ton, and saw no reason why the whole
empire should be saddled with an ex-
pensive meat inspection merely because
Prussia wished it. 1t was in Difference
to these South German votes that the
Prussian Cabinet gradually cut down
the demands. and a number of the
agrarian features of the original draft
of the bill were eliminated Two i'm
portant notifications are the dropping
of the clause providing for State re-
muneration for all cattle and meat de-
clared unfit for sale, and the inserting
of clause enforcing the inspection Of
all cattle and swine slaughtered for pri-
vate consumption.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press here interviewed a high Prussian
| official concerning the measure, who
said: For America the most vital and
interesting features are that it simpli-
fies and unifies the method of inspec-
ton, and that there will be only one
inspection. There will be no prohibi-
ton against any class of American
meat, though very strong pressure
was brought to bear on the Govern
ment to exclude certain kinds of meat.
especially sausage, canned meats and
lard. The Bundesrath, however, is
given full powers under the bill to
make, in case of necessity, decree de-
claring against any and all kinds of
foreign meat. But such action will not
be taken unless there is the strongest
| reason for it.
"A difficult problem is the treatment
OF American sausage, which is left to
the Bundesrath and the Reichstag.
Nothing in the whole bill is devised
with the view Of impeding or preventing
American imports. The whole bill is
fair, and its methods cannot be i'm
pugned even in America"
The foregoing statements were sub
stantially corroborated by an Amer
lean expert in Berlin, to whom thew
were communicated. He said: ssThe
tenor of the bill shows that the imperial
Government means to treat American
meats fairly and on their merits. The
option was given to the Bundesrath to
| treat American meats with greater Sc
verify, and correspond with similar
| power resting in the Secretary of Agri-
culture regarding certain German i'm
ports. But the enforcement of the op-
ton will require specific proof that
American meats are injurious, and that
| is out of the question. The hill will
| not be an unmitigated evil for Amer
| lean interests. Hitherto in GERMANY
there has been no confidence in our
meat inspection, but there is almost
sacred confidence in German imperial
inspection Henceforth any American
meats exposed for sale will be known
TO nave been officially approved, and
the result will be corresponding in
crease IN business, probably doubling
our sales. The only paragraph in the
| bill which is capable of mischief, If I'M
fairly applied, is the one which sets
forth that all imported meats must
come in certain cuts and parts. We
cut our meat differently from the Ger
mans, so mischief may Turk in that
paragraph. However, 1 feel confident
that the German Government will NOT
apply the bill unfairly, as it fully real
ICES that there would be no wisdom in
such a course, seeing that we hold
trump cards in retaliation"
| Another fact is that the Prussian
veterinary experts to whom all samples
| of American meats, sausages. etc. sus-
pected of being affected with trichi-
| nosis or other disease, have thus far
been unable in any case to confirm the
suspicious. The Government announces
that several loads of American fruits
| inspected for the San Jose scale were
recently seized at Hamburg and at
Stettin. In each case, however. the
scales were dead.
| The German Chambers of Commerce
and Industrial Associations, in their
annual reports this week, have referred
more or less freely to Germany's trade
with the United States. A majority Of
them express the hope that commercial
relations will become closer and more
friendly. The Leipsic Chamber of Com
merce, one of the most important in
Germany, deplores the present uncer-
tainty of the commercial relations with
both the United States and Great Bri-
tain, and says it trusts the Government
will strive to the utmost to re-estab-
! fish permanently the best relations with
both countries. The Bunder Industrel-
lien, the Rhenish Manufacturing Asso-
eiation, however, urges the Government
to adopt prompt and energetic retalia-
tory measures against the United
States in view of the palpable viola
tions OF the treaty.
| The Bundesrath is now discussing the
Government bill, the so-called LEX
Heinz framed to suppress certain fea-