The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-09
THE REMEDY IS PLAIN.

The fact that the beel packers VI
Chicago resent further inquiry Into
their methods and are indignant at the
publicity already had about the opera
ton OF their plants. is enough TO lndt-
cate to the public that there are things
done there that they are ashamed TO
have the public know. Their outcry
that trade Is being ruined by develop
ments already made public proves that
they know that their methods arc in
furious to trade. and that the goods
they put up would not be taken and
used by the public did the public Know
how these goods were prepared and put
on the market.
In the hearing before the House Com
mittee on Agriculture on Thursday
there was an evident appreciation OF
the fact on the part of the spokesman
for the packers that their persistent
obstruction and opposition 10 the de-
mand for legislation and Government
inspection had been doing them injury
in the public mind. The question asked
by Representative Haskins of Mr.. Will
son, the packers representative, Have
YOU been advised since we adjourned
Yesterday not TO make further obtec-
tlon ?" disclosed the fact that this sus-
picion is lodged in the minds OF MEM
bers OF the committee, and very justly
should 1t be so lodged, because the point
is obvious
The special objection that the packers
are making at this time is to the ex-
pensc of the proposed Governmental In
spection. The packers wish the Gov
crnment to bear this expense, and the
Government desires the packers 10 bear
II precisely in the same way that the
Government requires other concerns TO
bear the cost of their proper oversight
to see that they conform to the law;
and 1t is not likely that the Govern
ment Will depart In favor Of the packers
from precedent established.
The packers representative denied In
response to a question that the packers
control the meat market to such an eN-
tent that they would be able to recoup
themselves for the cost of the inspec-
ton Mr. Wilson says that the large
packers do not control the market; that
they Kill only fifty per cent OF the meat
supplying the country. Mr. Wilson was
probably not far wrong In this esti-
mate At the same time, there are two
phases of the matter of control The
huge packing-houses in Chicago have
to face local competition there which
Is even more Objectionable than their
own in the matter OF skimping econo-
mics and drastic pinching to curtail
expenses and TO make use of every pos
slble by-product that can come from
the animals slaughtered. as we'll as In
defiance OF sanitary requirements. In
so far as the local market is concerned
in Chicago. 1t is quite true that the
packers do not control 1t; but in the
larger sense they certainly do control
by reason OF rebates and ability to
reach out and occupy central CONNER
and by reason OF their connections with
the producers of meat. The large pack
ing houses do in fact in the broad sense
control the meat industry of the coun-
try, and the markets.
With respect TO the inspection, 1t is
extremely difficult for a few inspectors
to make the proper examination OF
the meats. With such enormous droves
of live animals passing to the slaughter
pens daily. few inspectors could mere
ly give d glance at the lines as they
pass along and prior to the killing
could detect only the most obvious
cases of d diseased animal. After the
slaughter, the inspection must neces-
sarily be hurried, and microscopic In
spcction cannot be made at q glance to
any satisfactory result. When any
tainted carcass is found, as n rule the
requirement is that the same shall be
marked mot for export" That is TO
say, not 10 be sent to Germany or
France, where the rules OF inspection
are very rigid. In England the inspec
ton has always been very lax compared
with that of Germany and France. al
though there are certain requirements
as to slaughtering animals that must
be observed 1t is not surprising that
the English buyers OF American meats
are shocked at the developments made
by the official reports as to conditions
of the packing houses in Chicago. and