Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-15
NOT DISPOSED
TO YIELD GROUND
The WadsWorth Committee
Will Stick to Its Findings.
C0MMOTlON AT CAPITOL
Effect of Presidents Letter on Beef
Inspection Provisions.
NUMEROUS CONFERENCES HELD
Claimed That the Chief Executive Has
Not Sufficiently Examined
the Measure.
Effect of Presidents Letter on Beef
Inspection Provisions.
NUMEROUS CONFERENCES HELD

ton amendment prepared by the agricul-
tural committee OF the House. expressed In
a letter sent last night to Chairman wads-
worth after a conference with the latter,
has kicked up lot OF dust around the Cap
itol The House and Senate were Just set
Ting down into their regular end-of-the-ses-
sion gait with clear road ahead and the
running gear in good shape. when the Presi-
dent rolled a boulder into the road. So far
as the meat inspection proposition Is con-
cerned things have been at a standstill all
day, with frowns and ill-humor on tap
freely as sulphur and molasses at a paro-
cnial school. Most OF the resentment Is, OF
course. directed against the President and
his criticism of the agricultural committee
substitute for the Beveridge amendment.
to say that the Presidents criticisms of the
lack of adequate provision for night inspec-
tion in Packingtown indicates that he is
not familiar he should be with the
text OF the substitute.
There have been conferences all day be-
tween Chairman Wadsworth of the agi-
cultural committee and various of the men,
bers who framed the substitute and with
the Speaker and prominent members or
the House There is absolutely dispo-
sftion yet among the members OF tho
committee who voted Tor the substitute to
retreat from their position, despite the
Presidents letter to Chairman Wadsworth.
II is asserted in some quarters that no
committee will not make a single important
change in the substitute and that II VIII
go before the House in its present state.
The Presidents Opposition.
The Presidents letter has, of course, been
the sole topic of general discussion today
among members of the House. Mr.. wads-
worth declined to make public Mr.. Roose-
velt's communication, but enough of II has
the President, although dissatisfied with
the bill practically in its entirety, places
his opposition three main features.
These are the alleged lack of suitable night
inspection of the packing houses. the pro-
vision for the court review and the matter
OF assessing the cost of inspection against
the government.
A minor point of difference between the
Presidents opinion and the committee sub
stitute is involved on the paragraph which
provides for the appointment of inspectors
from outside the civil service regulations.
as the President is understood to favor
proposition to leave the appointment OF in
spectors entirely to the discretion Of the
Secretary of Agriculture.
Night Inspection and Court Review.
Members of the agricultural committee.
even those who supported the original Bev-
eridge amendment, are at a loss to under
stand the Presidents criticism of the lack
of provision for night inspection. They de-
clare that the chief executive must have
accented as correct the opinion of advisors
who have not carefully read the committee
substitute. They point oot that this sub
stitute especially provides tnat for the
purposes OF esal1ila ton and inspection the
inspectors Shah have access at all times
to every paTt OF said establishments"
Another section of the substitute expressly
stimulates that the Secretary of Agriculture
shall cause examinations and inspections
Ito be made during the night time, as well
as during the daytime. when the slaughter
ing of said cattle or sheep, swine ana goats
and the preparation OF food products is con-
Quoted during the night time" The MEM
bers OF the committee emphatically declare
that they are unable to understand what
more explicit provision would meet the re-
auirement of the President. and yet IL is
this alleged lack of provision for proper
night inspection which the President chiefly
attacks in his letter to Chairman Wads-
worth
Members of the committee assert, further
more. that they unable to understand
the Presidents change OF position with re-
spect to court review. They point out
that although the Presidents original stand
on the railroad rate bill was opposed to
court review, yet he finally accepted and
urged a provision quite similar to the one
fixing a court review In the meat inspection
measure.
Cost of Inspection.
The Presidents objection to assessing the
cost of inspection against the government
was contained III his ItSsdsS lIdilSIIiAtlh8
to Congress the Neill-Reynolds report 1t is
understood. however. from conversations
which the President had with several mem-
bers of Congress this morning on the SUBJ
iect that he would be inclined to waive this
objection II the measure were amended
as to meet his views in other particulars.
but members who saw the President today
were unable to get very clear idea as to
Mr.. Roosevelt's exact position upon the sub
- ~ Ar, trAr 90 flc -alf Of inc on
Representative Davis of Minnesota.
member of the agricultural committee, had
prepared amendment to the cost pro-
vision which. In his opinion. contains the
basis for a compromise. 1t provides that
the cost OF ante-mortem inspection. where
ever 1t is made within the discretion of the
Secretary of Agriculture, and the cost or
post-mortem inspection which is compui-
sorry under the bill, shall be paid for out
o. a direct appropriation from the treasury,
but that the Secretary shall have kept a
record Of the expense OF the inspection OF
carcasses or parts OF cdrcasses OF animals
which 20 into canned meat products, and
to provide regulations for imposing tax
upon the packers to cover the expense or
this class of inspection; in other words.
this amendment provides that meats which
are sold fresh shall be inspected at the
governments expense and that those which
are prepared in the packing establishments
and go into meat products shall be paid
by the packers themselves.
He believes that this would about equally
divide the item of inspection expense be-
tween the government and the packers
as the necessity for the more careful In
spection exists with respect to the prepared
meat products. even though they constitute
only a small proportion of the entire out
put.
The provision allowing the Secretary OF
Agriculture to appoint inspectors outside
of the civil service regulation was placed
in the substitute at the suggestion or Rep-
resentatfve Cromer OF Indiana. friend OF
the original Beveridge amendment. In view
Of this fact 1t was supposed by members