Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-15
MEAT BILL UNSATISFACTORY
President Tells House Committee it Does
Not Meet Situation,
WRITES LETTER STATING OBJECTIONS
~ Executive SiRns Measure ~
VIII Append Memorandum
saying IL II InRd-
e0uate,


by the committee on agriculture Of the
house for the meat inspection amendment
of Senator Beveridgc to the agricultural
appropriation bill was made this afternoon
by President Roosevelt. The president Il
can be said, is opposed to the house sub
stitute in its entirety. He may not so
so far as to veto the bill, but he has
made 1t clear that he does not deem the
house provision at all adequate.
Representative wadsworth of New York,
chairman OF the house committee on sgri-
culture. conferred with the president and
the president told him frankly that he
could not approve the house provision. The
president pointed out that the failure ~
the committee to provide for inspection at
ali houses, either of the day or of She
night was a defect which he could not
pass and he urgently disapproved also of
the court review clause. The president did
not lay special stress on the proposition of
the committee that the government should
pay the expenses of the inspection, al
though he feels that if the government is
required to do So the law will be Jess
effective.
President Writes Letter.
After his conference with Chairman
Wadsworth, President Roosevelt wrote a
letter to him, stating his objection in a
definite and formal way in order that
his position might be of record. The letter
was not made public.
II the measure should be enacted, tho
president does not say he would sign it, but
If he should sign it, he would append
memorandum which would indicate unmis-
takably that he regards the law as made
quate and unsatisfactory.
Chairman Wadsworth has decided that he
will not discuss in any manner the oh
| Jections of President Roosevelt to the meat
inspection amendment. He will refer the
matter to his committee without delay
when the objections will be considered
In the majority report on the measure
which Chairman Wadsworth failed in the
house just before adjournment today, the
statement is made that the public interest
in the matter is fully appreciated: also
! its great Importance in the business in
! terests of the country and to the health
| of the people.
ANY seeming delay" the report con-
tinues. has been due solely to the desire
of the committee to give this important
subject full consideration"
An account of the hearings is given and
| the manner of considering the Beveridge
amendment is stated to have been mot
only paragraph by paragraph, but line by
! line and word by word. The committee
finds itself in entire accord with the gem
eral purpose of this amendment.
! But while concurriHg heartily in the
general purpose of the amendment your
committee found itself disagreeing to such
an extent with it's requirements and
phraseology that substitute seemed to be
the simplest way in which to present its
views"
The report next details the substance of
every paragraph OF the substitute the pro-
visions of which were made public last
night.
Paying the Freight.
Commenting on the wisdom Of placing
the cost of inspection on the government
the report says
The men, whose duty it will be to exc
cute the provisions Of this act will be
should be paid as are the salaries of all
other federal officers-by all the people
and not by special tax levied against a
by n special tax on a single industry a
large fund which shall be held at the dis
upon at his discretion without legislative
enactment seems to your committee to be
an abdication on the part of congress Of
one of Its important functions
The existing meat inspection law for ex-
ample, which has been in effect for nearly
fifteen years, has been enforced from the
seems to be no good reason why this prac-
tice should be changed now. The pure
enacted into law will entail for its en-
forcement considerable expense This legis-
! acty analogous to the measure under con-
| sideretion, inasmuch as the necessity for
It arises from a precisely similar cause,
and yet it is nowhere proposed to tax
the cost OF the enforcement of this law
against the manufacturers of the products
| to which the bill relates.
NM nf ha f1 Mt 1fg lob
IT is hoped will follow this legislation will
be the restoration OF public confidence not
only in our own country, but in other
countries, In the purity and wholesomeness
OF American meat and meat food products.
Your committee does not believe that this
object would be attained by legislation
which requires those who are to be In
spected to pay the cost of the inspection.
On the contrary, IL believes that the knowl-
edge OF this fact would discredit the inspec-
tion and cast suspicion upon it,
Minority Report Coming.
A minority report is I'm course of prepars- =
ton by Representatives Lamb Of Virginia
and Bowie of Alabama, and will be filed
with the house probably tomorrow. 1t will
contain three main points of difference
with the majority provision. These are:
First, that the cost should not be put
on the government; second, the court re-
view; third, the waiving of the civil SER
vice regulations for one year In the ap-
pointment of inspectors.
As to the cost provision the report will
state that the appropriation of s. 600 900
can be justified only on two grounds:
First, a means Of preserving the busi-
ness OF the packers. and second. the pro-
lection OF the health or the American
people The answer to the first is that
the packers are well able to take care Of
themselves and should expect TO pay the
expenses incident TO the preservation OF
their business. As to the second, II the
packers have been the faulty ones in bring
ing about conditions, requiring drastic
remedies, they should be willing TO bear the
cost of the remedy.
The court review amendment. according
to the minority, gives the right Of review
TO the packers but gives no such right "a
the government. thereby creating danger
Gus precedent
The waiying OF the civil regula ions. II
is contended, will nil the packing houses
with inspectors appointed by poiitica! IN.
fiuence and handicapped as free agents
REPORT on CHICAGO PLANTS
Manufacturers Committee GiyeH
Fresh Meat Departments Clean Bill.