The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-17
RreuLArrNe rHr PAckEns.


 The New Bedford (Mass.) Standard is a conservative Republican. news paper, but it sees danger in the de- termination of Congress and the admin istration to take charge Of the meat business. It argues in this way:
 The State of Illinois has laws and the City of Chicago has ordinances and to maks SsE sssan if .bas they were tablishments intended for the prepara- tian of food products should be con- o he snS State aaa miss as to their duty. Very well, says
 the to wss. are waaas rsss ss and seeeafser And hs there asrxs soss up srsst shout all oysr the than this, he who ventures that house. cleaning would better begin at home is secuted as an enemy of progress their nefarious practices. But there ts tbis thought which deserves consider- ation.-that by so much as the respon- the people of Illinois and Chicago about making them less fitted to Erapple sue may arise within their confines. The constant tendency to shift the burden on the nation, which- is % eagerly vel tSeS oa If s 0 5.Sssa provocative of fiabby focal seiitiment The obligation taken. from Chicago anu was primarily their business, SO much the easier 1t will be to take somethnc else over to the care of the national the people of locality be ready to let the contral of their. own matters go from them: There does not seem to s af as hs dess pomsr 1t nsses Sat there sion of this power win lead to weaken; responsibiiity, even % sfn' to the conduct Q, subject witch hardly deserves to he dis. missed with contemptuous snln'
 The general senor Of The Standards argument is that 1t would really be . plain usurpation of authority for the Federal government to take charge and regulate the meat packing business In fact this. New England contemporary looks on it as an invasion Of the rights of the States. and a dangerous prece- dent for the government to adopt, argu- ! ing that all such laws should be en- acted and enforced by State and muni.- cipal authority.
 Admitting that The Standard is cor rect in the abstract. what is to he .done7 Conditions in Chicago and other places plainly show that local author ity cannot or will not suppress the gross evils that are known to exist in the packing houses and other establish ments where meats are put up for hu- man food. and 1t is plain that these evils cannot be suffered to continue. Ii local authority will not right the ad- mitted wrongs, then it Is plain that a higher power must take hand. Some authority must be brought to bear to prevent the known jeopardizing the health and lives of the whole people
 And there is another point to be con- sidered in this business. If all the can ming done in Illinois. for example. was for the people of that State alone. and if none of the products were sent out of the State. there would be good founda- ton for the argument that the matter of regulating the operations of pack CTS and canners should be left to I1li- nois to control, but that is not the case. Not only are these products sent tu 1 every State and Territory of the Union, but immense quantities are shipped to other countries; consequently, not only are our interstate commerce laws an, regulations affected, but the honor and integrity of the government Itself is concerned. So, while Federal laws for the regulation of the packing and can ming industries may technically be invasion of the rights and powers of the States, there is the general wei fare of all the people to be consid cred, and the credit of the United States as well.
 We have no doubt that the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago, tc take them as an example, could make and enforce laws and regulations which would cure the evils which are known to exist there. but equally we have no doubt about their failure to do it. These evils have reached & point where they are national shame and disgrace, as well as a serious menace to life and health, and if the local authorities fai to apply an adequate remedy, the gem eral government must do it. That is the situation right now.
 !