Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-06-08

Disclosure Upton Snclair's " The Jungle"
About a Year Ago. Aroused Interest in
Stockyard lniquity - The Department of
Agriculture Inaueurated the Late Inquiry and
the Newspapers Got the Story Despite En-
forts of the Administration to Suppress 1t.
tFrom our regular corresr"ndentJ
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 81.
SO sudden have been the moves in
the Beef Trust fight that the bill au-
thorizing the appointment of an ade-
quate inspecting force at the expense
of the packers has reached the House
where it Is temporarily at least, held
up before most people have had
chance to realize what momentous
fight there is on. For once the Beef
Trust seems to be up against it. But
for IL clear understanding of the sud-
den commotion, it may be well to
glance back to last Thursday after.
noon, when in the last hour Of dis.
cussion over the Agricultural Depart
ment Bill, Senator Bevcridgc slipped
in little amendment, providing for a
thoroughly distributed force of meat
inspectors in all Of the slaughter
houses doing an interstate business
and putting the cost of the inspection
on the packers themselves, where it
naturally belonged.
To the surprise of everyone, this
amendment was passed without dis
cussion or division. 1t would mean
an expense OF about - 10000 year,
distributed among all the packing
houses or, on a liberal estimate, a tax
OF five cents head on all cattle
slaughtered. Now the packing in
terests are not used to submitting
quietly to spending an extra dollar if
it can be avoided, let alone two million
of them, and there was some curiosity
as to why they did not squeal, for they
have plenty of friends in the Senate.
Then the story came out.
Less than year ago one Upton SIN
clair wrote book entitled "The Jun
GLE" This may advertise the book
somewhat, but it is essential to an
understanding of the story. The book
WAS about as disgusting as could be
imagined. 1t pictured the life in
Chicago's Packingtown as the stock
yard quarter is known. and it told of
more filth, corruption and other un.
pleasant things in connection with
the meat business than ony decent
minded man could imagine existed.
The story was denounced as slanderous
and a fabrication. But none of the
interests" came out and sued the
author. In fact he says that he has
dared them to sue him several times.
Then the Department of Agriculture
got excited and sent out commission
toinvestigate the stockyards and re.
port on them. The commission re-
ported, and the President calmly i'm.
pounded the report and has it yet.
He took the matter entirely out OF the
hands of the Secretary of Agriculture
and told him in so many words to keep
mum. Meantime other things were
happening. The President appointed
q commission of his own, but it was .
personal affair, very few people knew
of it. One of the men happened to
be in government employ. He was
Chas. p. Neill, Commissioner OF Labor.
The other was JAG. B. Reynolds of New
York, Q gentlemen OF means in private
life in whom the President has much
confidence.
These two men investigated and re.
ported verbally. Just what they told
the President has not yet been put on
paper. But 1t is understood they told
him that the conditions in the Chicago
packing packing houses were rather
worse than The Jungle had pictured
them. Then the Beveridge amend
ment was framed and the packing in
terests were told that if they antago.
nized the measure, the whole report OF
the commission would be printed.
1t happened that the papers got
hold OF the story and they have
printed enough stuff in the past week
about conditions in the packing
houses to make the official report
smell like disinfectant, if il ever is
published. Now that the story is
practically out anyhow, the packers
are making a sort of q fight on the
inspection amendment in the House
with view, not to getting it repealed,
they would not dare to do that, but TO
render the law as useless as possible.
As the provision now stands. the in-
specting force is reduced accordingly.
1t would cost. As has been said, about
81 100000 yearly. The packers are
making a fight to have this expense
borne by the government and they
know quite we'll that whereas Con.
eress now kicks at appropriating ST.
600. 900 annually for meat inspection.
it would balk proportionally hard
over doubling the sum, and even doub.
ling might not be sufficient. There
are always ways to get an appropria.
ton cut down, and If Q fixed amount
were appropriated annually for meat
inspection, the packers know that
they could control the force about as
they pleased.
This would have . double advan-
tage. A certain number of inspectors
are necessary to enable the big houses
engaged in the export business to sell
their meats abroad. Meat will not be
accepted in most foreign countries un-
less it is certified as inspected by the
government in the country OF origin.
Consequently nearly all OF the in
spectors for whom the government
now pays are assigned to the export
houses. This means to the houses of
the Beef Trust. That has long been
one OF the complaints Of the smaller
houses and the independents, that
they cannot get inspectors assigned to
them and consequently cannot do any
export business even if they otherwise
have the chance.
| But If the bars were let down and
anyone were allowed to have govern
ment inspection who was willing To
pay for it, then the independents could
break into the foreign trade and com.
pete with the Trust-which would be
scaudalous. There is a further reason
for the trust wanting to limit the num-
har of insnectOrG They have In have