Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-03


ley may have tlfSnsht or Gov TIFF may
have said. and it Is better TO let the Fi,in.no
understand it froa.=the start for fear tina /
some day he will wake up to the facts and
accuse of .decelytng him.
Imports of Lard and Pork.
am led to these remarks by reading
fourteen Endorsements by fourteen officials
of this government upon a complaint filed
with the commission by an American mer-
chant that Ameriean hog products are suf-
ferlng from ali unjust discrimination, be-
cause In all II those fourteen Endorsements
by fourteen important officials, there is not
the slightest reference to or recognition of
the rights and title of the American farmers
to this trade.
AS you all know, hog products exported
from the United States must be inspected
and carry with them a certificate of their
purity. There Is no such law In China
There is no Inspection there. The Chinese
der the name of pork products without re-
gard to it's purity or adulteration
Last year the Philippine Islands imported
1855 pounds of American lard and 2.544.-
no pounds of lard from China, the most of
which was made and packed in Canton and
shipped in secondhand petroleum cans.
During the s:ime year 090,), the Philip
pines imported los. 1876 pounds of ham and
bacon from the United States: 251 SCI
pounds from the united kingdom and
1,13l .757 pounds from China.
The attention of the commission was called
to these figures and to the well-known fact
that the Chinese lard, hams and bacon are
made from animals that die. from disease.
as well as those that are properly siaugh-
tered 1t WAS suggested that Chinese lard
and other PORK products should be placed
upon the same basis with American provi-
sions and that certificates showing It's puri-
ty should be required for each package.
There is no food inspection law here. The
quarantine officers require certificates
showing that fresh vegetables import ed
have not come from infected districts. but
that is all. The customs authorities have
no option. They must admit Chinese pork
and lard without question IL they know
that 1t has been made from animals that
have died of disease. The commissioner of
public health has recommended Inspection
certificates similar to those of the United
States. The Secretary of the Interior re-
jected the recommendation, and some time
ago suggested a local Inspection of all food
offered for sale to the public. similar to
that required by municipal authorities of
the United States. thus placing the respon-
sibiity upon the retailer instead of the i'm
porter. and providing for the confiscation
of impure food offered for sale. This recon-
mendation was renewed among the indorse-
ments upon the protest against the impor-
tation of diseased pork from China. and
Commissioner Smith said:
Commissioner Smiths View.
american exporters to the Philippine
isis nds of bacon, hams and lard are at
disadvantage when they come into compe-
tition with Chinese exporters. Hogs killed
in the United States for export are subject
to a rigorous inspection. In China the ami
NAL is subject to no inspection whatever.
and whether he is sound and healthy. or
has died of disease, he Is alike available
for bacon hams and lard. In my opinion
all food supplies imported from China
should be subject to inspection. and
think some plans should be devised that
would at least give the importer to under
stand that he imports impure food stuffs
at his peril
No notice was taken of this excellent sug-
gestion but the pratest was passed around
other, each of whom contributed his share
of wisdom, until 1T reached Professor
Worcester, who is responsible for the agri-
cultural interests of the islands. He sent 1t
over to Dr. Richard T. Strong, director of
the biological laboratory, who returned 1t
with an Endorsement that there Is no danger
to the public health from lard and com
paratively little from smoked ham and ba-
con, whether il is made from diseased
hogs or not, while fresh pork is perfectly
safe If kept three weeks in cold storage.
Hence it is of no concern to the govern.
ment of the Philippine Islands what kind or
pork the Chinese are shipping to the Phil
ippines. s.eg. ..- ......
Dr. Strong closes by saying. There is no
practical demonstration that the importa-
ton of the pork in question is detrimental
test back to the man who made 1t.
Without questioning the wisdom OF the
fourteen indorseplentsvby the fourteen ofn-
ctals of the Philippine government, or the
scientific accuracy II the conclusion finally
reached it Is a matter of Importance and
significance that no one of them contains
a suggestion that the farmers of the United
States have rights to be considered. 1t
shows that the fourteen officials have been
so absorbed by The benevolent assimila-
ton" theory that they have forgotten what
is expected of them. '" =