Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-23
MEAT PACKERS MEEK
Come Into Camp Without Rails
ing a Dust.
CONFER WITH OFFICIALS
Arrangement Of Labels Giving Some
Trouble.
BONDED WHISKY POPULAR
Heavy Advance Orders for Stamps at
Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing.
CONFER WITH OFFICIALS
ED WHISKY POPULAR
BONDED

From present Indications the meat pack
ers-meaning the big firms that have given
trouble. and were expected to give more
intend to emulate Davy Crockett's coon
and come down without shooting. There
has been a conference this week between
the representatives OF the Chicago, Omaha
and Kansas City packers and the Depart
ment of Agriculture as to the meat labels
that will be used under the new meat law.
There were fifteen or twenty Of the rep
resentatives In Washington, and they as
sured the department that they were will
ing to do, all that the law required, quit
the use Of chemicals, dyes and preserva-
tives. stop misbranding goods and run
their business on straight lines.
There are some points where the pure
food law and the meat inspection law will
overlap little. and the object of the pack
erS was to get whatever information was
they had made up their labels for the meat
inspection on October / they would not
have to change them again on January 1 to
make them conform to the pure food law
The packers submitted about two thousand
labels, and nearly all of them will have to
be changed. AS soon as the new dies are
made they will be submitted to the De-
partment Of Agriculture. the Department
OF Commerce and Labor and the Treasury
Department to see whether or not they
fulfill all the requirements OF the law.
After they are passed as correct they will
be used on the goods that the average citi-
zen buys at the grocery and butcher shops
Quick Change Of Front.
1t was rather remarkable to see the way
that the packers came into camp. They
had been assuring Congress for four years
past that 1t would be impossible for them
to continue In the packing business with
out the use Of chemical preservatives. Now
they announce meekly that they are willing
to drop the whole chemical scheme, with
the dyes and coloring matter and preserva-
tives, and not only put up meat with no
other curing than smoke, salt. sugar and
saltpeter. where allowed. but even label the
products that the public buys with just
what Is In the can.
The officials of the three departments say
that II the food manufacturers come into
camp with as little trouble. life will be one
grand sweet song. But there Is a shrewd
suspicion that some Of the manufacturers
are going to fight the pure food law from
the drop Of the flag, and that they will do
all In their power to have the Supreme
Court declare it unconstitutional.
AS to the meat product labels. they will
have some rather curious results. The
picnic ham" will disappear from the mar
ket. Some people know and some do not
that the picnic ham has no ham In it. The
same Is true of the California ham. which
is really a shoulder. Both of these will
have to go. The manufacturers will claim,
of course. that these were merely trade
names and designed to mislead nobody. But
the fact remains that they were receptions
and cannot be used after the new law goes
into effect. ...,., -.
The same is true Of the "potted ham so
largely sold. The packers admitted that
there was not much ham potted in the his
tory of Chicago packing. When a ham was
put UP there was some trimming and par
ing to get 1t In good shape. These scraps
were potted and mixed with other things
ov nd cnld fn1 how, h,,t fh4~
comparatively little straight potted ham on
the market. Now If any one buys potted
ham there will be real ham in 1t, and moth
ing else. But the chances are that 1t will
not figure so largely in the meat advertise
ments as formerly, and may cost more.
Must Be the Real Thing.
The same will be true of potted chicken.
which hereafter will have to be good, pure,
sound chicken. and not sheep in disguise.
Also veal Loaf will have to state on the
label how much of it is veal and what pro-
portions Of potatoes. beef suet and bread
crumbs there are in the can.
More trouble Is expected under the pure
food law from the dealers in liquors and
drugs than from any other class. 1t hap
pens that by far the larger number Of
dealers in whisky in this country employ
bottles running five or six to the gallon.
and bottle as they choose without the gov
eminent bonding stamp.
R'it under the new law whisky and
every other liquor will have to state whas
amount Of spirits there are in the bottle.
how much the bottle holds and whether it
is a blend, a compound or an imitation.
Tire pure food committee must decide
" hat is blend, compound or imitation.
The public in the past few years has
been waking up to the short-measure
bottle trick. for the bureau Of engraving
and printing reports that there are more
calls than ever before for bonding stamps.
uhn hot hnir. In,
bond have found their trade going up by
leaps and bounds, and there are now or
ders for bonding stamps in at the bureau
of engraving and printing three or four
months ahead Of time.
Altogether there seems to be a general
awakening Of the public in the matter of
pure food, and 1t is thought that when
the two new laws go into effect they will
work much more smoothly and more to
the benefit Of the public than was thought
possible when the legislation was in prep
ara ton.