Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-06-15
From our regular correspondent.l

for Building the Largest BattIsship Gos.
Over This Session, at Least
tFrom our regular correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, d. c., June 7.
The packers have at last come into
the open to fight the meat inspection
provision of the Agricultural bill as
embodied in the Beverage amend
ment. And the chances are that they
will win the day finally as great bust
ness interests usually do when they
undertake to bring influence to bear
on Congress. Chairman Wadswortt
and his associates on the Agricultural
Committee gave a hearing this week
to Mr.. Thos. E. Wilson, one OF the
representatives OF the packers. There
were present at the hearing Secretary
Wilson, DR.. Melvin of the Bureau oil
Animal Industry, Mr.. Neill, Commits.
sioner of Labor and the Joint author OF
the now famous Neill.Reynolds report.
All Of the big Chicago packers, con-
stituting the Trust, had with their
usual thrift assigned Mr.. Wilson to
speak for them, and he played the dew
oxoueo me-paokers' advocate to the
best of his ability.
The session was warm at times. He
fatty contradicted the report of Messrs.
Neill and Reynolds. as to the foul con-
dltions under which meats were pre-.
pared, and retorted holly when Mr..
Neill replied to him. In reply to ques-
tions he admitted that dyes were used
in some cases and preservatives in
others-after first denying that any
such things were ever resorted TO-.
But he insisted that the houses were
clean and sanitary. Though he did
not say they had always been 50. He
wound up by inviting the committee
to visit the plants and see for them.
selves. 1t is quite possible that a part
of the committee at least will accept
the invitation. 1t will be a nice Junk.
ct. And according to all reports from
Chicago, it will be quite safe for the
packers to have them do so. Dis.
patches indicate that since the expos.
ures commenced and especially since
the President made public the Neill.
Reynolds report. the packers have
been working with feverish energy
cleaning up their plants. All that
and painting can do with
the foul blood and grease soaked build.
ings, they have done. and they have
also installed thousands of dollars
worth of sanitary plumbing where
there was no plumbing to speak of
before. They have warned their EN-.
ployes through the foreman to keep
clean on pain of instant dismissal, and
in fact are rapidly putting their plants
into about as presentab shape as can
be done short of tearing down the old
wooden buildings and replacing them
with sanitary modern structures. That
much the Presidents efforts, backed by
publicity have already accomplished.
But the packers do not want the dras-
tic inspection law proposed by the
Beveridge bill, and they are going to
fight it off If it can be done.
For the session at least the Senate
has killed the proposition to give the
Navy the biggest bsttle-ship
ailoat. The Naval Committee struck
out of the appropriation bill the item
for the $10,O0O,0O0 warship and there
ia deep gloom in the Navy Department
in consequence. But it has ordered
the Department to go ahead with the
plans for the rival of the dread.
and have them ready for pre-.
to Congress at the next ses-
sion in case it should be thought desir-
able to try such ship. Dem.
PUGET Sound Academy, at Snohom.
ish, after fitful life OF twenty years.
is about to pass out OF existence as an
institution. 1t was first
at Coupeville as a Congre-
gational institution. and about ten
years ago was moved to Snohomish.
J. NJ. Colman and Rev. Samuel Greene,
Of Seattle, have expended $4,000 of
their own funds in an effort to keep
it in operation till an endowment
could be obtained, but have at last
los. faith and abandoned the project.