New-York tribune., 1900-05-29
RETALIATION PROPOSED.
EXCITEMENT OF STOCK RAISERS OVER
THE GERMAN MEAT INSPECTION
BILL FINDS EXPRESSION.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuSE.I

of the Western States on account of the Meat
inspection bill now pending in the German Par
lament and il is reflected here in the solictude
expressed by the Senators and Representatives
from those States we'll by officials of the
Agricultural Department It also found
preston in a bin offered by request of the Ma
tional Live Stock Association in the House of
Representatives to-day by Mr. Bailey. of Kan
sas. and referred to the Ways and Means Com
mittee- The bin provides for the imposition Of
a discriminating duty Of 10 per cent all i'm
portations from Germany OF course. there
be action ii at this session. and more
over. the proposition TO impose discriminating
duties for any object is generally
garded with favor practicable in Con-
gress.
So far as Legislation may be necessary TO meet
commercial conditions arising from unfrtendly
legislative or other action by foreign Govern
ments Congress has already enacted all that
appears to be needful in the opinion of the Sec
rotary Of Agriculture and other members of the
Administration BY Section OF the passed
in 1890 the President was authorized to suspend
the privilege of importations of articles to be
designated by him from any country which
should impose unreasonable unjust restric-
tions mportations OF products Of the United
( States That ten years ago. and the author
ity has never been invoked. The act has proved
effective and beneficial in indirect ways. how
ever especially as an aid to negotiations for the
removal of such restrictions by several foreign
countries on American products.
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE's POWERS.
BY an act approved March l. 1899 the author
ity OF the Secretary of Agriculture to
authorizations OF food TO be investigated
+ increased and widened to require him.
whenever he has to believe that articles
are being imported from foreign countries which
( da0 +O Of he tO
make a request the Secretary of the Treas
ury for samples from original packages of such
| articles for inspection and analysis. and the
Secretary of the Treasury is authorized open
such original packages and deliver specimens
to the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose
mentioned. giving notice to the owner or con-
signee Of such articles, who may be present and
have the right to introduce testimony; and the
Secretary of the Treasury shall refuse delivery
to the consignee of any goods which the Secre-
| tary Of Agriculture reports to him have been
inspected and analyZed and found TO be danger
to health This provision re-enacted
IN the Agricultural Appropriation bill which
was approved by the President last Saturday.
It will be observed that the powers of the Sec
retary of Agriculture under this provision are
very great, and it is understood that investiga-
tions are in progress TO determine whether
or not certain imported articles dangerous
/ to health. OF course. if the authority of the
provision is invoked IT will be respects all
countries and not against one alone, unless
that happens to be the only one exporting the
dangerous article to the United States.
None Of the officials in Washington know the
provisions of the German Meat Inspec-
tion bill in its present for1n-as to what prod
/ ucts will be anected--and nobody can know
what its ultimate form Will be The Secretary
/ OF Agriculture understands that it chiefly af-
fects, so far the United States is concerned
SalL2C
weighing less than eight pounds each.
Fresh beef and mutton, which will be excluded
! except when imported in whole carcasses, each
. containing the trails and other internal organs
of the animal have not been imported into Ger
many from the United States in considerable
quantities since 1895. and even in that year the
! importation amounted only $4,000. The ex
ports Of fresh pork from the United States to
Germany nave aISo peen small amounting 10
| only $500 In 1898 II the bill should become
law in its present form. therefore 1t would not
make any appreciable difference in the American
export trade in fresh meats. Neither would tt
affect the exports Of bacon and hams from the
United States to Germany, which are large and
increasing.
THE AMOUNT OF EXPECTATIONS.
According to the figures of experts published
by the Department of Agriculture. the exports
! OF bacon TO that country in 1894 amounted TO
81 O36 O55 and in 1898 to So, DDS. 900 the yearly
average for the five year period amounting to
SL598OO0 In 1894 the exports of hams
amounted to only S146.O 600 and IN 1898 to ST.
100 900. and the yearly average for the five year
period amounted 70 S486, coo. The exports of
I salted pork from the United States TO Germany
in 1884 amounted $4,000 and in 1898 to
S4SSeOO, the yearly average for the five year
period amounting TO 100000 The exports Of
( salted beef amounted to S42S 900 in 1894 and
S-34 600 in 1898 and the yearly average for the
period amounted TO 1851, 600 The exports of
canned beef from the United States to Germany
in 1894 amounted to $4,000, and in 1898 TO
S446,OOO, a yearly average Of S466,O00 for the
period.
In the tables published by the Department Of
I 4 TfFIlIT 10 "a Tal 1ar-
elsewhere specified" the exports Of which in
1894 to Germany amounted to $13S, 600, and in
1898 to S1049 600 the yearly average for the
period amounting to S405 600 The exports of
| sausage skins amounted in 1894 TO $4,000, and
| in 1898 to 900 the yearly average for the
| period being S621 600 II Is not supposed that
the exports OF sausage skins Germany will
be in any manner affected by the pending legis-
[ latiOn.
If the bill shall become law 1t will serve at
least one purpose which the American exporters
of meats have long desired TO have accomplished,
by substituting general law operative
throughout the German empire for several State
| laws and differing from another and each
Prussia Bavaria any other political di-
vision Of the empire will be the in all
the other political divisions thus preventing
trouble and confusion. which have heretofore
been unavoidable well vexatious-
CHILD THRUST HEADLONG INTO FIRE.
Amsterdam n. Y. May 2s-Ellen Jane Brown
burned to death to-day by being pushed into a
bonhde by A colored boy named Lewis
Young Lewis had built a fire in vacant lot
the Brown girls home, and requested her to get
fuel with which feed the flames When she
refused TO obey his command Lewis sneaked up