New-York tribune., 1906-07-22
WILSON In EARNEST.
Regrets That Federal La5o Does Not
Reach Local Plants.
TFrom rhe Tribune Bureau. ]


Washington. July 21.-The Secretary of Agri-
culture is in earnest in his determination to n
force the meat inspection law. and only depIores
the fact that the authority of the federal govern
ment does not extend far enough to protect the
consumer of meats and meat products which, be-
cause they do not enter into interstate COM
nlerce, are beyond the jurisdiction of that law.
Il must be an inspector of meats myself. and
am going TO be one for several months TO come
1 am going to see that the meat inspection law
passed by Congress is given the fullest and most
efficient enforcement" said Secretary Wilson to-
day.
The Secretary has just returned from his
Western inspection tour on which he investi-
gated the conditions in Chicago and in some
small packing houses in Iowa, including some
slaughter houses which do not come under his
jurisdiction. He continued
The Chicago plants engaged in interstate COM
nerce show already great improvement. Some
OF these have always been in fairly good con-
dition, and all of them will soon be in very good
condition. The stamp Of the government in
speetior has always been full protection as far
as II went. Il will be full and complete protec-
OF the conditions of the plants doing purely
local business and not engaged in interstate
commerce, the less said the better. Over these.
or course the department has absolutely no
jurisdiction Certainly would never venture to
Eat any OF their meats
For the matter of that. there have always been
packers ana packers, and the distinction still
holds. Some of them have been careful and
some he reverse. Unhappily for the trade the
misdeeds of the latter have been brought pronli-
nently before the public eye.
so far as the packers engaged in interstate
commerce are concerned, 1 believe the reforma-
tioh VIII be complete as soon as the rules for
the enforcement of the Meat Inspection law have
oeen formulated, promulgated and placed in
operation. These rules are now in process of
preparation by the scientists and experts of the
department, and will be completed the early
part of next week. Where the inspection has
snort because q
lack OF money and too few inspectors. All this
Will be rame1ied in the future.
While was in Chicago I observed efforts on
the part of the packers to improve the cOndi
tion Of their employees. The rooms in which they
work have been cleaned UP wonderfully. and
the dressing and retiring rooms are correspond
fngy bettered. THE men themselves look better
than they have in the past, and there is very
apparent purpose on the part of the packers to
retire those employees who fail to realize the
necessity for cleanliness Altogether. found
my visit encouraging and inspiring. The pack
ers are getting ready to meet the inspection
they know will be made every day after the
law has been put into effect.
Referring to those slaughtering and packing
plants which do not do an international business
the Secretary remarked that the people should
reflect that those do not come within the scope
of the federal law, and should take steps to in
sure sanitary and healthful conditions through
their local authorities. He said:
If the people of this country want to be as
sureo thaI the meat Inat goes INTO tnen horneS
from those establishments doing purely state
and local business is clean and wholesome, they
should enter upon crusade or a general clean
ing up / pOwerless myself to act. Quite
recently I went through some of those houses
not embraced within the federal law, and found
them in nasty, filthy condition, and in some
cases using diseased animals. II IS my regret
that the federal law does not reach them, but
I earnestly hope the state and city officials will
look after them vigorously as we purpose to
look after the others
The officials charged with preparing the regu-
lations to be promulgated by the Department of
Agriculture governing the inspection trans
portation of meats etc, hope to have them
completed by next Tuesday. although Secretary
Wilson is unwilling to commit himself to
al