Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-23
QUESTION OF DISEASED ME At.

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QUESTION or DISEASED MEAT.
The Rutland Herald ought to have had
sufficient experience with iugglcd afida-
Wits four years ago to deter it from re-
peating work of that kline in connection
with the present campaign, but 1t seems
that it was desperate enough to make an
other venture of II similar nature. II will
be recalled that the Rutland Herald print
ed a few days ago several afldavits in
Guiding one from Perlcy f. Pope of Mont
pelicr, the gist of the matter being tho
charge that tuberculosis cattle killed by
direction of the State cattle commissioner
had been sold as meat by the Swift COM
Npany of Burlington.
The alleged affidavit of Mr.. Pope rem
resented that, having heard of this charge,
he called upon State Auditor Graham
and that Mr.. Graham Informed him 1t was
true that some meat taken from cattle
killed which had been paid for by the
State had been sold to the Swift company
and by that concern put on the market.
Mr.. Graham, when questioned in rela-
ton to this matter denied tina he had
made any such statements to Mr.. Pope.
and tina the affidavit. whatever it was
had been tempered with after it left Mr..
Pope's sight is indicated by the following
letter from Mr.. Pope, addressed to the
Rutland Herald:
Montpelier, Vt, Aug. Il. 1906.
Editor Rutland Herald. Rutland. VT:
Dear Sir:-Thc AFFIDAVIT concerning dis
eased meat which appeared in the Rutland
Herald August 10 and which | swore to in
good faith, was not intended for the pur-
pose to which It has been put and does
not appear as | understood ii should. The
fact that the affidavit was not drawn I'm
by myself possibly might account for it's
not being drawn as I woul nave drawn
it.
But he that as it may. / want to say
the affidavit is in error so far as { states
that Auditor Graham said cattle con-
demned as diseased and paid for by tho
State had been sold by the State to the
Swift Beef company. when it was known
that the meat from such cattle was 70 bo
placed on the market after an inspection
by competent veterinarians. Mr.. Graham
did not say that and neither did he say
that such a sale was made because of n
belief that beef from slightly afflicted cat
tie could he eaten with safety. | have
nothing further TO say in this regard ex-
cept that in making the affidavit my inter-
est was in no way political hrt solely for
what I deemed to be the public good. My
only desire was to aid in creating public
sentiment in favor OF an investigation for
If charges that have been made are ,ruc
! want 10 know il and | believe this is a
common de;ire Of Vermont people gener-
ally. AS | understand the Vermont law
II is n crime to sell meat from diseased
cattle FOR food. If ! am right II certainly
Is up TO the proper officials to make ar
investigation and after this has been done
to prosecute whoever is guilty Of doing It
You will greatly ohligc me by printing
this ,ettc~ in the next issue of the daily
and weekly herald.
Very truly yours.
PERLEY r.. POPE.
The chances are that before 1t Is done
with this matter the Herald will have oc.
ca sion to correct a number of its publishe,
statements in relation to the charge.
t'ndc the law relating to cattle com
missions as amended at the last session
cattle is allowed eighty per cent. of thu
appraised value thereof. the State having
the hide and carcass. The commissioner
have arranged with different parties I,
do the slnughtering. the Swift compan,
being one of the parties, and from tn,
sale Of hides and carcasses for fertilize
and rendering purposes the State has real
lied about $4,000. Some people seem t,
have Jumped to the conclusion that thi
meat has in some instances been sold 70
use as food, and In proof of this it wa
charged that one hlndquarter was seeI
marked Paul German. ~Burlington?"
In this instance certainly there has bee
juggling, for there is no Paul Germai
in Burlington now and there was not las
year, as shown by the city directory
Moreover the Swift company slaughte
beef cattle for a number of dealers in mea
and the fact that beef was sent to dealer
would not mean that the diseased bee
sold by the State fer fertilizer and ren
dering purposes was sold for market pu,
poses. Even II the Swift company wa
running the risk of the heavy penalty In
posed in our State for selling disease
meat after buying it for other purposes,
could not be made a political matter.
II the Herald and those whose informa
ton it is using learned last Novembe
certain facts which led them to think di.
eased meat was being sold by the swi,
. company in violation OF the law. they wei
guilty OF criminal negligence In falling I
; make the fact known and calling for III
prompt prosecution Of the Swift compan,
surprising the charges were true.
However, lAttorney-General Fits il
o structed States Attorney Sherman
make nm investigation into the whole ma
ter. and so far as We have been able
learn not the slightest evidence has bee