The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-06-26

Burden ~ Animals Slaughtered on
Farms and Shipped Not to Be At
fected by Proposed Law.
Washington, June 26.- The meat in
Epection amendment to the agricultural
appropriation bin was adopted by the
house without division.
The agricultural appropriation bill
was then sent to the senate with re-
quest for conference. The senate
agreed to a conference.
Mr.. Wadsworth, chairman of the
committee on agriculture, reported to
the house the agricultural appropria-
ton bill with compromise amend
ment.
Mr.. Wadsworth in explaining the
changes made in the substitute for
the original meat inspection amend
ment said that the changes were most
~ in verbiage and then took them up
in order.
Farmers Not Affected.
Mr.. Olmstead called attention to one
section of the amendment providing
that on and after Oct 1, 1906, no per-
son, firm or corporation shall transport
or offer for transportation and no car
rier of interstate or foreign commerce
shall transport or receive for transpor-
tation from one state or territory or
the District of Columbia to any other
state or territory or the District of
Columbia "any carcasses of meat or
meat food products unless marked in
spected and passed" In another por-
ton Of the amendment the provisions
Of the act requiring inspection shall
not apply to animals slaughtered by
any farmer on the farm and sold and
transported as interstate or foreign
commerce"
He, wanted to know how these two
sections harmonized.
Mr.. Wadsworth replied that the COM
mon carrier need not inquire. He
knows when farmer gives him car
cass for shipment that the inspection
feature of the amendment is waived.
li4.s Changes Pointed Out.
In the senate Mr. Proctor made a
statement concerning the house substi-
tuta for the meat inspection provision,
saying that there were two essential
points Of difference between the two
houses
One Of these, he said, was the omis-
sion by the house of the senate pro-
vision requiring that the date of in
spection be placed on cans containing
meat and the other the transfer of the
cost of inspection from the packers to
the national treasury.
Speaking of the latter change, he
said that it was radical and in his
opinion unwise and advised that the
house amendment on that point be not
accepted. The packers could, he de-
clared, afford the expense as an adver-
tisement
To Protect Domestic Consumers.
Senator Beveridge agreed with Mr.
Proctor as to the unwisdom of the
house changes in the matters Of date
of labels and cost of inspection, but
expressed qualification that the pro-
vision for night surveillance had been
retained. The two essential changes
he considered as most important de-
claring that If the date is not to be
fresh meat that which may have been
inspected five years ago. He said that
\ the date Is stamped on canned meat
shipped abroad and argued that the
same plan should be pursued with
reference to meat consumed at home
He agreed with Mr.. Proctor that the
3 government stamp would be worth
millions for advertising purposes.
Looking at the matter in that light,
the. cost of inspection would not be a
burden because the inspection would
be a great benefit. The cost would at
the most be inflnitesimal, 8 cents per
head for cattle and cents for swine
1t would be impossible for packers to
increase the price of meat or decrease
that of stock on account of this slight
charge.
Annual Tax May Reach $1o,000,000.
He predicted that the house appro-
priation would be inadequate to meet
all the demands on it, while the fee
system provided by the senate would
adjust itself to the demands upon 1t.
If, he said, the plan is to be changed
there will be vast drain ON the treas
ury, and he predicted that $10,000,000
year would soon be required for meat
Inspection alone.
Senator Lodge also spoke for the sem
ate provision, although he said 1t might
be considered 'audacious to do SO in
view OF the announcement that the
house had perfected the measure and
the president had accepted it." He
pleaded especially for the dating Of
labels, because the public has the right
to know what it is buying,
He did not agree that the producers
and consumers would not feel the ef-
feet of the tax, for. judging the future
by the past, the packers would find in
tax Of few mills an excuse for an
Increase of several cents poalnd on
the meat they sell and a similar de-
crease on the stock they buy.
More Packing Houses Condemned.
Chicago June --Insanitary condi-
lions have been found to exist in some
Of the Chicago independent meat pack
Ing establishments, according to a re-
port by Chief Sanitary Inspector S. /.
Hedrlck to Health Commissioner o. j.
Whalen, following an inspection Of the
smaller plants at the Union stockyards.
Others were found to be clean, well
ventilated and in a generally satisfac-