The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-05

foo6 prodrIcta Is u1eteAsty and dars
uero,s 20 health. Under existing
law the national government has no
power to enforce inspection of the
many forms Of prepared nlent food
PRODUCTS that are daily going from
the packing houses into Interstate
commerce. Owing to an inadequate
appropriation, the Department Of As-
riculturo Is not even able to place
inspectors In all establishments desir-
,nr them The present law prohiplts
Inc shipment of uninspected meat to
forelyt, countries but there Is no pro-
vision forbidding the shipment OF
4 unlnspected meats In Interstate COM
n,erce, and thus the avenues OF IN
+ terstate commerce nre lett open {"
traffic II, diseased or spoiled meats.
! II. as has been alleged on seemingly
FOOD authority, further evils exist.
such as the improper use Of chemi-
Gals and+ dyes, the government lacks
power to remedy them. A law Is
needed which will enable the Inspectors
Of the general government to Inspect
and supervise from the hoof TO the can
the preparation Of tho meat food pro-
duct. The evil seems to be much less
In the sale Of dressed carcasses than
In the sale OF canned and other pre-
pared products. and very much less
as regards products sent abroad shan
regards those used at home.
In my Judgment. the expense OF
tho inspection should he paid by fec
levied on each animal slaughtered.
II this is not done, the whole purpose
OF the law can ut any time pc de-
feated through an insufficient appre-
priation; and whenever there was no
particular public Interest IN the sub
ject II would be not only easy, but
natural, thus 10 make the approprlh'
ton insufficient. II II were not TOT
this consideration ! should favor tho
government paying for the inspee-
ton.
The alarm Expressed In certain
Quarters concerning this feature
should be allayed BY reallzati ton CT
the fact that in no case, under sltcn
law, will the cost Of Inspection ex
coed eight cents per head.
cali special attention to the fact
that this report is preliminary and
that the Investigation Is still unf'n-
,shed. 1t is not vet possible to re-
port on the alleged abuses in the use
of deleterioVs chemical compounds
in connection with canning and pre-
serving meat products, nor on the
alleged doctoring in this fashion OF Y
tainted meats and of products re-
turned to the packers as having gown Z
unstable or unusable from age or
from other reasons. Grave allegations
are made In reference to abuses or
this nature.
Let me repeat that under the pres
ent law there Is practically no nethGa
of stopping these abuses, u theS
should be discovered to exist, Leg.
lsIation Is needed In order to prevst:s
the possibility Of all abuses IN the .
future If no legislation IS passed,
4 then the excellent results accom-
nIished by the work OF this Special
committee Will endure only SO long
as the memory Of the committees
work Is fresh. and a recrudescene OF
the abuses is absolutely certain.
urge the immediate enactment
Into law Of provisions which VIII en-.
able the Department Of Agriculture
adequately to Inspect the meat and
meat food products entering Into In
iterstate commerce and to SUPERVISE
the methods OF preparing the Same
and to prescribe the sanitary corio:-
tlons under which the work shall pc
performed. ! therefore commend :.
your favorable consideration and urge
the enactment of substantially the
provisions known as Senate amend
ment No 20 to the act making ap.
y preparations for the Department o.
Agriculture for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1907. as passed by the Senate:
this amendment being commonly
known as the Beveridge amendment.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, June 4, 1906.