Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-06-18
TREACY SUGGESTS A STAMP TAX
ON PACkINGHOUSE PRODUCTS

AUlAllSuaAUUUk L lAUUOU1U
which the government inspectors afix.
to every carcass which has been ex-
amined and found fit for 20 eating.
Brewers and cigar manufacturers are
required to pay for government
stamps and there seems to be no rea-:
son why the packers should not
Then the department would be indie;
pendent Of all political changes and
would have steady income with
which to prosecute the work. =. !
| The present rules and regulations
| regarding the inspection of meat in
1 the packinghouses are very strict as
shown In the book of instructions to
inspectors issued by the department
Of agriculture. They provide that all
carcasses which are condemned at
the time of the killing and all portions
/ of the animals which are found unfit
for use shall be set aside and at the
end of each day placed in a large
tank with other refuse and under the
direction of the inspector treated with.
steam until the meat is destroyed
In case packer refuses to tank any
of his meat the rules provide that he
shall make sworn statement month
ly to the department Of agriculture
giving in detail the distribution made
of the condemned carcasses. The in
spector may be further authorized to
give notice of publication of the fact
of condemnation of certain meat and
warn the express companies and rail-
roads against transporting it.
All very fine, but the trouble is
there are not enough inspectors, and
the inspectors have too little power.
4 "The government inspectors are
tonly in the packinghouses by suffer
lance" said DR.. Tracy in discussing
this point. '.They have no real au-
thority. This was plainly shown a
few years ago when there was clash
between the federal authorities and
those appointed by the state of Illinois
over the question of whether lumpy
LAW cattle should be slaughtered for
food. The question was carried to
the supreme court which decided that
the states authority was supreme and
ever since then the state has had en-
ltire\ charge of inspection in the Chi
Icago stock yards.
! "The state inspection should be be
tmade more strict for after all it is the
people of Chicago who are the worst
sufferers from the conditions in the
Chicago packinghouses, as big part
of the spoiled meat is sent directly to
the city markets.
of course, the packers cannot do
without federal inspection for many
of the foreign countries such as Ger
many, France and Austria, will not re-
ceive American meat unless it bears
the stamp of the federal inspector: So
it happens that the foreign countries
iget the best meat and the poorer prod
ucts go to our own people. 1t is only
the pork intended for Germany which
is subjected to a microscopic test
However, no packinghouse that
amounts to anything can do business
without shipping its products to
other states and thus becoming SUBJ
ject to Interstate commerce regula-
lions and If strict law were passed
requiring that all meat intended for
interstate commerce must be in
lspected by federal authorities and IN
der federal control it would consider
ably improve matters"
/ DR.. Treacy is now engaged in the
INSPECTION of cattle on the hoof and
when they are first shipped from the
ranches to the markets.
! This might be termed the primary
inspection of beef. In this he en-
|counters some difficulties because the
Estate regulations are different from
those of the United States. =.s%
.About all III can do he said, sis to
4 give the state inspectors every as
[ distance possible and look after those
,.Icattle which are shipped from one
state to another and those which are
Ilsent to Canada