The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-11-09

TER"s g. 81 esRsa Months Xsas g ,a essss nsy'n''
three cents per pound. An analysis
proved that none Of the thirty-nine
samples were pure pepper, while three
Of them did not contain even particle
of pepper. 1t is a well known fact
that spices or other grocery goods that
are offered in ground or mixed condi-
ton, or in extracts, are all more or less
Again in that week Philadelphia
paper published long list of Ameri-
can canned goods, which can be pur-
chased in European cities at price
from thirty to eighty per cent less
than the price asked for the same
goods here. AS an illustration will
that certain drug used as !
an embalming means, tends to preserve
the color and apparent freshness Of
meat, but meat so cured is very un-
wholesome. When an investigation
was made the packers proved to the
satisfaction of the Investigators, that
they did not use borax on meat intend
ed for home consumption, but only
on meat that was exported to foreign
countries.
This admission is of grest impor-
tance and may have far-reaching con-
sequences. Certain it is that none Of
the other exporters have caused our
government so much annoyance, and
so much valuable time and money, as
the meat exporters. And the worst of
all is, that the annoyance and the ex-
penditure of time and money was en-
tirely in vain; for the investigations
made by the government invariably
proved that either the complaints Of
the packers were groundless, or that
the packers themselves had brought
about the causes for the grievances
complained of ;or, finally, that the mat
ter was OF such delicate international
nature as to make an interference by
our government inadvissble.
Within the last three years Germany
and several other nations have given
as reason for their refusal to ad-
NIT certain brands of cured and
otherwise preserved meats, that these
meats had been cured with borax and,
consequently, were foods prohibited
under their sanitary laws. The pack
ers always denied having used borax:
even after our own governments con-
suls and experts had conceded the cor
rectness Of the foreign accusations.
And now we are brought face to face
with the admission of two prominent
meat exporters, that the large qusnti-
ties of borax found on their premises
we're used exclusively to cure meats
destined for expectation. 1t is unnec-
essary to say that these important ad-
missions were cabled at once to
Europe. What kind of Impressions
they have produced there, can easily be
imagined.
There are two other news items
which I intended to include in this
dissertation, but find that the space
allotted to me has already been trans
gressed. 1 shall close therefore by
pointing out that, as our coE mercial
treaties with several foreign countriefl
will expire in the near future, and as
Germany has already notified the
Washington government that the
; Reichstag will raise considerably the
duties on many American products,
we are once more confronted with the
necessity of giving our most earnest
consideration to the vexatious tariff
question. But it cannot be repeated
too often that the whole question is
nothing but business proposition. If
a merchant finds that another mer-
chant he is dealing with tries to sell
him his goods at the highest possible
price. he is very apt to raise the figures
!. on goods he intends to sell to that
merchant. 1t is the same between
nations. Without reciprocity we can
3 not get along.
, Another matter we must not lose
sight of. 1t may be very advantageous
. for other nations to buy our food
products and our manufactured goods
. at reasonable prices. But these coun-
: tries will neither starve nor 60 to
ruin if they do not buy their necessi-
: ties from as. If we raise the duties
9 on imports, and other countries do the
t same, it is,done because the countries
i, believe such to he best for their ma
! tional welfare. To deduct from it that
fill-feeling or animosity gives rise to
the exacting of duties, is simply ri
: diculous. 1880.