New-York tribune., 1906-06-10
MORE DEMAND FOR LAW
QUICK ACTION URGED.
Cattle Men Want Inspection That
WiU Reassure the Public.
rrr,nm The Tribune Bureau. J

rFrou The Tribune Bureau.l
washington June s.-"Conhdence will be re-
store6 only when a law for meat Inspection ID
passed that the people think is Satisfactory 10
the President, and that law should be passed a'
The earliest possible moment 1t is the Presl-
dents fight, and the people feel that their prin-
cipal food product will te properly protected II
the inspection law which the President desires is
enacted"
This statement was made before the House
Committee on Agriculture to-day by F. p John
son. secretary OF the Colorado Horse and Stock
Raisers' Association. whose testimony COM
pleted the hearings on the Meat Inspection bill.
Mr. johnson, together with S. H Cowan. of Fort
Worth, Tex, another cattle raiser, made an
urgent plea before the committee TO expedite
legislation for meat inspection in the interest OF
the entire country.
The whole trend of the testimony before the
committee to-day indicated a tremendous oe-
,nsnd for pronapt legislation. In response TO
questions from members of the committee the
representatives of the cattle raisers said public
apprehension as TO the quality Of meats sold
from the hacking houses would not be relieved
,,ntil a drastic law was passed. 1t would be use
less :bev said TO report substitute measure
without the force of the Beveridge amendment
as the people wanted something that they be-
lieved would be effective.
The first person to appear at the hearing TO-
day was Representative Garner, Of Texas VINO
made a plea for speedy action
since this matter came up" he said, the peo-
pie who have contracted TO take our IeAas
steers have become alarmed, and say they don't
know whether not they are going TO take our
cattle The result is we are in a state Of un-
certainty I want to suggest that the com
.nittee get through with the matter as soon as
possible Every day this thing is continued the
stockman is losing money"
THINKS PACKERS RESPONSIBLE.
is not the packer entirely responsible for this
condition." asked Representative Haugen, OF
Iowa and continuing. he said: Il believe he is.
Last week in my Office saw number of tele-
grams from stockyard banks 10 banks in my
section Of the country asking them to telegraph
Immediately all their members of Congress.
believe they are responsible for this agitation"
Representative Davis, Of Minnesota. read a
Telegram from the South st. Paul Live Stock
Exchange and Live Stock Board voicing unal-
1erabIe opposition TO having expenses placed on
the hackers because Il would inevitably come
out OF the stock raisers. Mr.. Wilson, represent
ing the packers, corroborated this opinion
S H Cowan, OF Fort Worth. Tex. attorney
fer the Texas Cattle Raisers' Association, was
next heard Mr. Cowan said that, while the
had not got the best of them yet, this ques-
tion the interests OF the raisers and packers were
identical. If there was additional expense
some one would have TO pay it, and the man who
could name the price of things sold could put
the additional expense where he pleased The
stockmen believed the packers could put this
expense the raisers. He read a telegram
from John T. Lytle president Of the Cattle Rails
ers' Association OF Texas, which said that the
present agitation has seriously depressed the
cattle business. The universal impression is
that cattle values will suffer from 81 10 So a
head decline"
Another dispatch from NJ. o. Mckenzie, mana
ger Of the second largest cattle ranch in Ameri-
ca. in Colorado, estimated that by fall the price
would be 81 hundred pounds less
Asked by Representative Adams of Wisconsin,
whether the packers did not fix the price paid
for cattle. Mr. Cowan said this was an impossi-
bility under ordinary conditions. Neither could
the cattle raisers by combination fix the price.
The reason was that when cattle got into condi-
iion they must be sold
WILLING TO PAY THE COST.
Representative Haugen, Of Iowa, asked Mr..
Cowan if he had read The Presidents message,
which estimated the cost Of inspection at eight
cents head.
that's our reason" replied Mr.. Cowan. But
rather than do without the law, we would be
glad 10 levy the cost on the cattle, he continued
Mr.. Haugen said every member of the commit
tee 50 far as he knew, was in favor of the gov
ernment paying the cost. This cost had been
estimated at from $s0OO,000 TO s2O0OO,O00 an
nually and Congress-. he said, probably would
not appropriate more than 100000 In view
Of this, he believed il might be better 10 assess
HE cost on the packers.
MT Cowan disagreed with the argument OF
Representative Crumpacker that the federal gov
ernment had no right 10 interfere with the police
powers Of the states by making sanitary regula-
lions. Mr.. Cowan would have the law provide
that no meat should be allowed 10 enter inter
state commerce unless IL bore the label of in
spection and that this label should not be giver
unless the product was put up in accordance
with sanitary regulations prescribed by the Sec
Tetary Of Agriculture. Several members of the