The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-22
OKLAHOMA
TO MAKE
CHANGES
Rules of Board of Health Be-
ing Promulgated
TAKE DECISIVE ACTION
Bad Meat Sold at Reduced
Rate

Guthrie. O. T. May 21.-Rules and reg
ulat.ons are being promulgated here today
by members of the Territorial Board Of
Health and the Oklahoma Live Stock
Sanitary commission that Will make a Dc
ciGed change in the method of disposing
OF packing house meats in Oklahoma.
Complaints have been made to beth or
ganiza ticns from time to time relative
10 the condition and quality of meats
sold To consider the matter, both
boards Iuet here today. and after = con-
ference with Assistant Attorney GeneIaI
Moods. decided TO take decisive acton.
a number OF local butchers were called
before the members Ct both boards this
morning ana testified as to the nanGer
IL which they received meats and TIE
condition the neat was il when re
cciv,d.
From statments made il seems to have
been the custom of representatives, of
packing houses il this city to have cars
OF Leef shipped in. placed on side tracks
and meat taken from the car as ordered
by local butchers. Often these cars were
held d week or more ana when another
car was received all meat undisposcd Of
in the former car was transferred 20 Inc
new car These ears are refrigerator
cars and arc either shipped from Kan
sas City by Missouri concerns or come
here from Fort Worth. In case guar
ters Of beef are held many days q re-
4 l,a
theI take the meat it IS dressed mp and
the unstable poortions thrown away.
The meat is then placed or s-ale and the
result is that the butcher derives u neat
profit for his work.
Drs. Hamilton. Cowdrick and Sharpe Of
the board of health inspected a car Of
meat shipped here from Fort Worth ~
the Swift Packing company. 1t has been
held here for a week and much of the
meat disposed of. The agent for the com
pany- stated that as soon as another car
came in he would transfer the old meat
TO the new car and continue to sell It.
After making a thorough examination OF
thg meat now on hand the board of
health ordered certain quarters con-
demned, conhscated and destroyed.
Other quarters were found to be all right
and the sale Of this meat will not be
interfered with
After the rules and regulations are
formulated they win be printed and sent
out. Local inspectors working for the
live Stock Sanitary commission VIII be
required to inspect u car of meat rs soon
as 1t arrives. on each piece of meat he
will be required 10 stamp the date It
was inspected by him. II at any time
the inspector finds meat that is in bad
condition he viii then notify the local
board of health man and he in turn VIII
condemn it and order the sanitary Dc
licemen 10 destroy it.
The board of health viii also request
the government Inspectors at the various
packing stations TO place the date Of in
spection on the various pieces of meat
shipped ont At the present time the
government inspector places a stamp on
the meat which states that it has been
inspected. but does not give the date Of
inspection.
In addition to this the board of health
viii require the packing firm to place
the date the animal was slaughtered upon
the shipping tags. BY such a method it
can be ascertained just when the ami
NAL wss slaughtered and inspected and
whether the meat is too old 20 be in good
condition.
Neither the board of health nor the live
stock commission have authority to make
penalties for not complying with regula-
tons prescribed by them, but they can
order the meat condemned. confiscated
and destroyed. Il is believed that bu
such action upon the part Of the boards
Oklahoma people will receive good meats
hereafter and that it will be properly
taken care OF by packing houses.
Local butchers stated today that they
had been offered meat at a price rang
ing from one cent TO three and five cents
per pound; also that after it was received
they had to dress il in order that it
might be in presentable condition. The
members Of the board Of health claim
that this does not make the meat salable
and they do not desire it disposed of to
the general public. one butcher stated
that he had purchased one thousand
pounds of packing house meat for 50,
the packing house agent desiring to dis
pose of il before it was entirely spoiled.
The boards in their joint meeting de-
cided TO take some action in the matter
Of persons feeding carcasses Of animals
10 hogs II has been stated that there
are men who buy all carcasses possible.
feeding them to hogs and afterwards
selling the fattened hoss 10 local butch
ers- II Is the intention Of the board Of
health and sanitary commission to stop
this kino of work and each local butcher
viii be notified that he shah. under no
circumstances. feed meat considered un-
salahle 70 hogs owned by him or other
persons.
we appreciate the fact that we ara
taking radical step in arranging for
close inspection of an meats sold in Okla
homa." said Blly Boolton today. who IS
president of the sanitary commission.
'Our attention has been called to the