Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-19
MEAT BILL IS READY
House Committee ReviseS Measure to Meet
the Presidents Wishes.
COMPLETE ACCORD ON ALL POINTS
Speaker Cannon Represents the Committee
in White House Conference,
GOVERNMENT WILL PAY INSPECTORS
proyt.to, Fer No,r4 Rau,aw L Htr,oka.
GOVERNMENT WILL PAY INSPECTORS
Provision for Court Review Is Stricken
from the Bill.
LABELS WILL NOT BEAR ANY DATES
Measure Practically Complete wheA
Committee Adjourned and IL VIII
Probably He sent 20
Conference To-day.

WASHINGTON, June 1S.--The basis of
complete argeement on the meat inspec-
tion legislation between President Roose-
welt and the house committee on agri-
culture was arrived at today at the White
House. Speaker Cannon represented the
committee in this instance and subse-
quently spent some time explaining th9
situation to the committee in its room 1t
the capitol The bill was practically COM
pleted when the committee adjourned to-
day.
1t will authorize annual appropria~
tion of S87 900 600 TO pay the cost OF an
spection and will contain no provision for
the levy of an assessment to make up any
deficiency in the amount available for this
work as suggested by Mr.. Cowan, repre-
senting the Texas cattle growers and
later urged by the president. The court
review provision will not be contained in
the measure. This action meets the sug-
gestion of the president. The words lin
the judgment OF the secretary of agricul-
ture" will not be inserted as suggested
by the president and this conclusion now
meets Mr. Roosevelt's approval.
The section waving the civil service
law for one year in the selection of In
spectors will go out Of the provision. also
one of the presidents recommendations.
No Dates on Labels.
There is to be no date the label OF
the packing OF meat food products. In
this the president yields TO the committee
The language which gives inspectors the
right to enter the packing plants at all
times is amplihed by the words whether
the same be in operation or not"
with these changes made the president
| has indicated his entire satisfaction with
| the measure which was reported from the
committee as a substitute for the Bever-
idge amendment and was today recommit-
! ted to the committee that the changes
! might be made
! Ordinarily Speaker Cannon does not take
! such active part in legislation as he has
in the present instance. 1t has been ex-
plained, however that he regards the
! passage Of an adequate meat inspection bill.
with all possible speed. as vitality essential
10 the welfare OF many important indus
| tries throughout the country.
objection 10 Head Tax.
The objection which was urged TO the
president as a reason why he should not
insist on giving authority to the secretary
of agriculture to levy tax to make up any
deficiency was the constitutional provision
that congress shall levy all taxes. A head
tax on animals, it was pointed out, would
be an exceedingly unequal one, as the
value of a fine beef steer would be much
greater than a steer Of inferior weight and
! condition, yet the tax would have to be
the same. The same condition would pre-
vail as TO all other animals killed for food.
The guarantee OF the constitution OF
every mans right to have his grievances
heard before a court was also presented to
the president forcefully as to why the de-
cision of the secretary of agriculture should
not be made final as would be the case should
the words "in the discretion OF the secre-
tary of agriculture" be inserted through
out the measure. In this argument, IL is
said. the president acquiesced.
1t is probable that the agricultural bill
will be sent TO conference without delay.