Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-14
GERMANYS INSPECTION LAW
BARON Hermann EXPLAINS THAT 1T
IsA SANITARY MEASURE.
Says 1t Applies to Everybody Who
Handles Meat, Whether Domes-
tic or Foreign.

the German embassy, has received copies
of the meat inspection bill recently passed
by the reichstag, and with the authorities
here has made a careful study of it's pur-
poses and effects He made the following
statement today on the subject:
There has been a great deal of misun-
derstanding about the meat inspection bill
which was passed by the German reichs-
tag a few days ago. The bill stirred up
not only various parties at home who fear
being injured by it in their most vital In
terests, but it has also occasioned a good
deal of comment abroad, as all the coun-
tries which send their meat products to
German markets are afraid that their trade
might be unsettled by 1t.
"The problem is this: Owing to the his
torical development of the German empire,
each one Of the confederate states and a
great many of the larger cities had various
special laws regulating meat inspection,
which were carried out in different ways
according to the Importance which author
tiles attached to the protection of public
health.
These many different laws and regula-
tions became more and more an impedi-
ment to trade, and to do away with much
disagreeable friction In interstate and for
eign commerce the confederate states re-
solved to abolish all these local laws and
restrictions and to create one law and an
uniform system for the whole empire.
THE new law will require two separate
inspections In the German empire-frst an
inspection of the live stock before slaugh-
tering, then again another inspection of
the slaughtered meat thus giving guaran-
tee that meat or meat products coming
from diseased or unwholesome animals will
go to tie consumer either in the larger
cities or small villages Of the German en-
pire. This has been urgently required for
a long time by all the boards Of health al
an absolute necessary measure for the pro-
lection of public health in country thick
ly populated and partly overcrowded as
Germany is today
''If all the animals slaughtered in Ger
many have to pass through the double cx-
animation which I have mentioned. 1t is
evident that the meat products of other
countries intended to be imported into Ger
many must also pass similar inspection.
This will be the case in the future for all
the countries importing meat and meat
products into Germany. No discrimination
will be made against any one country. all
Will be treated alike, and meat products,
whether they come from Austria Denmark
Australia, Argentine or the United States
when found wholesome a the port of entry
after having passed the same inspection to
which all home products must be subjected,
will enter into the channel of trade with
out any further embargo and without
finding another inspection law and different
regulations at the. doors of every single
state or even township, as has been the
case heretofore"
Uniformity Sought.
Baron Hermann pointed out that one of
the chief purposes Of the measure was to
secure uniformity of inspection in place OF
the various inspections heretofore required
by the several states of Germany, the Old
system having proved a source Of annoy
arce to international trade and of frequent
protest from American and other shippers.
In bringing about this uniformity, he says
the public sentiment OF Germany quite nat
urally demanded that foreign meat products
should be subjected to the same require
ments as those Of domestic production. The
bill. therefore gives practically the same
system for Germans and Americans, and to
some extent the foreign shipper has the ad-
vantage of single inspection, whereas the
domestic product must be inspected twice,
before and after killing. In bringing about
the uniform system, Baron Hermann says
the trainers of the measure were confronted
with the difficulty of inspecting certain
classes of goods, such as canned goods. as
the opening Of the can would practically
destroy the contents.
1t was also felt to be impracticable to
inspect small bits of picked meat. AS
result of these practical difficulties 1t was
decided to exclude few Of these minor
products. They are, however, but small
Of the trade Baron Hermann
estimated them at or I per cent of the
total meat exports from the United States
to Germany, and only 1ie to per cent of
the entire trade from this country to Ger
many. Besides, he calls attention to the
fact that the bill does not apply to German
colonies. which take considerable part of
the American export of canned goods. On
the other hand, the chief meat exports of
the United States will be facilitated by
the uniform inspection and the trade in
creased. These exports, as shown by the
nited States agricultural statistics, were:
Bacon. S2.0OO,OO0: ham, S50O,OOO; lard, So
OOO0O0; oleo oil, S20OO,OOO; showing the eX-
tent of the exports alongside the small
percentage of excluded products.
When Baron Hermann was asked If the
measure was to be considered in any sense
one of protection to German goods against
competing foreign goods similar to the
American tariff laws, he said the tariff
idea did not enter into the calculation, the
entire purpose being sanitary system ap-
plicable alike at home and abroad, 1t having
been argued by the boards of health for
years and years that the uniform inspec-
tion OF meat and meat products all over
the German empire was an absolute ne
cessity for public health