Evening star., 1901-12-20
WILL BAR AMERICAN PORK
GERMANY REPLIES TO ABOLITION OF
INSPECTION HERE.
Packers on This Side Surprised and
Alarmed Over New Turn
in Their Affairs.

dispatch from Berlin yesterday says:
The central bureau for the preparation
of commercial treaties issued a statement
today, in which it said that the discon-
tinuance in the United States government
meat examinations would necessarily stop
the import of American meat into Germany
and other continental countries. This
statement calls attention to the agreement
of 1891, according to the terms of which
the United States expressly agrees to issue
certificates to accompany all meats after
they had been inspected.
Germany's rigorous exclusion of foreign
hogs has raised the price Of fresh pork
by several cents over the prices of 1900.
The Allgemeine Fletcher Zeitung has pub
lshed statistics from forty-three of the
principal municipal slaughter houses of
Germany, showing that 255, 10 hogs were
slaughtered in November, 1901. as against
315,3S1 slaughtered in November, 1900. The
paper says also that the animals killed this
year are of inferior quality.
representative of the foreign office
says that the law requiring the inspection
of foreign meat at German ports of entry
has neither been decreed, nor is it in force,
nor has the date of its PRONUNCIATION been
determined.
The attention Of the foreign office was
called to statements in German news
papers to the effect that this law would go
into force January 4, 1902 Such state
ments the representative of the foreign
Office said, although they had been made,
were incorrect He intimated that this law
might be put into operation some time in
1902. He said that the government of the
United States would be informed of this
matter Immediately after definite deter
mination had been reached.
Judging by the cablegrams received here
through diplomatic channels, the meat ex-
porters of the United States are much con-
nod ,,4I,
exclude packages weighing less than eight
pounds, and think that if these regulations
are harshly administered they will consti-
tute an embargo on all pork imports.
The agents of American packers at Ham
burg think that the suspension of micro
scopical meat inspections in the United
States on January is a great mistake, and
that it is possibly due to misapprehension
of GermanyS intentions under the new law
American Packers Alarmed.
A dispatch from Chicago last night says:
Chicago packers have received notice
from D. E. Salmon, chief of the bureau of
animal industry, in Washington to the ef-
feet that the microscopical inspection Of
meat will cease March /, 1902. The an
nouncement has aroused the packers, and
Nelson Norris said tonight that a meeting
will probably be called in the near future
to consider what shall be done.
Letters have been received by all the
pork packers in Chicago" said Mr.. Norris
"and it is my understanding that the in
spection will be abandoned in all parts of
the United States.
'lt will work havoc with packers. Ger
many will no. receive a pound of American
pork unless it bears the tag of the United
States meat Inspector 1t will not receive
pork in pieces that weigh less than eight
pounds. and this is already a hardship to
exporters of pork OF course, we will be
shut out of the German market altogether
ii the inspection of pork is abolished
without the inspectors tag, but they may
cease to do so when the inspection is done
away with and there are chances of receiv-
ing poor pork from INSCRIPTIONS packers.
4 cannot see any reason why the micro
scopical inspection should be abolished. 1t
doesn't cost very much and is of great ben
eht to every one concerned. 1 am sure that
there will be strenuous protests from the
packers in Chicago. l believe a meeting
will be called soon TO consider the question.
Inc notlcc came as shock to Chicago
packers, all of whom laughed at the pre-
vious rumors to the effect that the exami-
nation would be abolished
The Papal Policy in the Philippines.
From the Chicago Record Herald.
William E. Curtis cables from Rome that
Mgr Sbarretti, the apostolic delegate to
the Philippines, has instructions to sur
render the real estate of the friars to the
government on payment of the indemnity
awarded by the courts, but intimates that
the church will not substitute American
priests for the members Of religious Or
ders now in the islands.
The land question which seems in a fair
way to be disposed of, is undoubtedly an
important one In seven provinces of Luz
Zon and in the Island of Cebu and Min
doro the holdings of the Dominicans. Au-
gustinians and Franciscans amount to
about 4o3COO acres. The total does not
seem large when we compare it with the
area Of Luzon, which is $4,000 square
miles. but the posse ssions in some of the
provinces are considerable enough to ac-
count for popular protest. Thus in Cav
lite the Spanish monks have controlled
121,747 acres; in Laguna, 62,172 acres in
Manila. 5O145 acres.
1t would certainly be an excellent thing
If these great estates were divided among
the people. whether We look at the mat
ter from the political or economical point
of view. Therefore, the suggestion of the
Taft commission that the government
should first acquire them from the reli-
gious orders and then lease or sell them
to the natives is sound one and, fortu-
nately, the attitude of the Vatican VIII
help to bring the desired object about.
1t remains only for Congress to take ac-
ton in the matter, so that the agents of
the government may proceed with the
necessary means and authority.
But, satisfactory as the outlook is in
this regard, it would be a serious mistake
on the popes part to insist on the re ten
ton of the friars since the most bitter
feeling exists against the men and their
methods. Furthermore. it would cause
most unpleasant surprise, because it has
been announced several times that their
removal had been ordered This is. of
course, a question to be settled by the
church itself, since our government could
not discriminate against persons but it
would be a sagacious move for the church
to relieve the government of an embar-