The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-23
PACKERS
PROTEST
PROMPTLY
Agents of Packing Companies
Don't Like Action
MUST COME TO TIME
Will Make Close inspection
of All Meats
MUST COME TO TIME

packing house companies are already pro-
| testing against the joint action of the
| territorial board of health and the Okla
homa Livestock Sanitary commission rel
ative TO close inspection of packing
house meats shipped into Oklahoma for
distribution among local dealers. Merar
| bers Of the board of health were called
up over the telephone this morning by
| packing company agents, who attempted
TO show causes why the business of the
| packing concerns in this territory should
not be interfered with. One agent grew
very angry when he ascerta.ned that
the two boards were united in their ef-
forts to prevent the selling of tainted
and decayed meats. The agent stated
that his company would resent such ac-
! tion upon the part of Oklahoma officials
The man was informed that as long as
his company shipped meat into Okla
homa and offered the same for sale when
it was not in good condition, the condem-
nation of the same could not be prevent
ed, regardless of the loss to the company
hg such action.
The car of meat shipped into Guthrie
by the Swift company at Fort Worth
was inspected again this morning by
members OF the board of health and more
meat condemned. The condemned meat
was turned over TO the sanitary police
man to be destroyed. The two boards
have been working today arranging mat
ters so that the meat inspection can be
carried on Immediately. Stamps will be
secured and each quarter of beef stamped,
the stamp giving the date of inspection
by the local inspector.
Packing house companies will be notified
of the action of the two boards and re-
quests to comply with the rules and reg
ulations made for the inspection of all
packing house meats. The claim has
never been made that the meats are in
bad condition when shipped out of Kan
sas City or Fort Worth. but that owing
to the negligence of employees or the fail
ure of the company to provide proper
places Of storage the meat soon became
unfit for consumption.
The following letters are being sent out
by the territorial board of health:
ITO the County Boards of Health:
'Inasmuch as it has come to the knowl-
edge of the territorial board Of health
that decayed meats were being sold from
the distributing points of some of the
packing houses doing business in our ter
ritory to retail dealers, and through them
to consumers, the territorial board of
health and live stock sanitary commits
sion. acting jointly, have investigated
these reports and find them to be true in
fact. that some Of the packing companies
have sold and at present have in their
storage for sale, meats that are unfit for
consumption by reason Of the fact that
,ney are tainted and in state Of de-
composition. and further find that these
companies are selling these meats when
first shipped into our territory in compe-
tition with meats of tho local butchers
who laughter their beeves at the points
Of consumption, but, as these meats be-
come tainted, sell them for prices vary
ing from one to three cents per pound.
or at any other price in order to dispose
Of them before they are entirely rotten;
and, inasmuch as these meats are ex-
tremely dangerous to the public health
by reason of the general consumption
and of the fact that tainted meats are
one of the most prolific sources of disease
and ptomaine poisoning among our people,
we. the territorial board of health, desire
to call your attention to these facts and
to the further fact that the preserva-
ton of the public health of the people
of this territory demands that we call
your attention to section Of chapter 3,
of the act repeating chapter of the
statutes Of oklahoma, 1898.
AT a joint meeting Of the territorial
board Of health and the live stock sani-
tary commission is was voted that these
boards work in unison for the prevention
of the sale and consumption of stale
meats in this territory, and we request
you as superintendent Of your county
board Of health TO work in unison with
the deputy live stock inspector Of your
county.
You are hereby instructed by the ter
ritorial beard Of health TO act in con-
junction with the deputy live stock In
spector of your county in compliance
with that part Of section S. chapter ., of
the act repeating chapter s of the stat
utes of Oklahoma, 1893, TO suppress all
sales Of meats that are tainted or unfit
for consumption, and TO destroy all meats
found in the cars. storage rooms or meat
markets that are dangerous TO the public
health by reason Of being unfit to be used
as food.