Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-30
LABEL DESIGNS SUBMITTED
Reporters Barred Out From the Con.
sultation.
!. ELv1Ns EXPLANATION
A Chance That Some Of the Houses
Won't Re Ready by 0c-
tobsr I. 4

Representatives from q score OF packing
houses had a long heart-to-heart talk with
the Secretary Of Agriculture today. pos
sibly trying to see how close they could
skate to the edge OF the law with their
meat product labels. They had several
hundred Of the labels on exhibition. and
submitted each to the judgment OF the
department authorities. but beyond that
the meeting was shrouded In mystery. The
packers were in q position to know what
sort Of things the other packers were put
ting into their cans and bottles. but the
general public was excluded from the
hearing on the score that there were secret
formulas involved which the packers did
not want to get out.
There were present at the secret hearing
Secretary Wilson, Prof. Wiley. Dr. Mel
vim OF the bureau Of animal industry some
other department of1cials and the packers
representatives. DR.. Melvin constituted
himself the guard Of the outer door. and
shooed out the correspondents who APP
piled for admission.
rs 1t secret meeting?" he was asked
Yes. 1t is." was the reply.
where Is the secrecy" insisted one of
the reporters. II thought that publicity
was 70 be the rule IN the packing business
"SA, tucTc are IOTInuldS ana tnat sort
OF thing that the packers don't want to get
out to the public" replied DR.. Melvin.
The Dear Public.
Considering that there were representa-
tives of twenty packing houses present and
that all of them were hearing each Others
trade secrets. It appeared that the consum-
ing public were the only people to be kept
be ignorance Of the things that the labels
covered.
The hearing occupied the most OF the day.
Just how many OF the packers were present.
what houses they represented or what prog
ress Is being made In selecting labels that
come near enough to telling the truth about
the meat products they cover DR.. Melvin
would not say. He said that he did not
know what houses were represented at the
hearing and that nobody in the department
knew who was there or who was not. and,
most particularly. the meeting was a secret
one and outsiders would not be permitted
Secretary Wilson himself has given
number of interviews on the subject of
pure food and meat packing, and he has
always said that secrecy about meat pack
ing was to end. He said on his last visit
to Washington that hereafter food products
Of all sorts bearing the government stamp
would have in them Just what the label said
they had, and nothing more or less. He
said also that the packers were preparing
their labels, which were to be submitted
to the department for sanction, and that
after they had been approved the public
could be sure not only that the labels told
the truth but that the food products were
put up under proper sanitary conditions.
Secretary Wilson in Town.
The Secretary returned yesterday from a
tour Of the west where he inspected a num-
Der of packing houses.
In a majority of instances. the Secretary
said. he found the plants in good sanitary
conditions. The packers everywhere. he
learned. were disposed to meet the require.
Tnents of the law without bubble or protest,
their desire being simply to learn definitely
what was expected Of them by the govern
meut.
Secretary Wilson says that everywhere
throughout the west and northwest evil
dence abounds of the great prosperity OF
the people, particularly of the farmers. The
crops he says, are enormous. the oats crop
being one of the largest In the history Of the
country.
There may be some Of the packers caught
out in the cold when the inspection law goes
into effect on October /. but in all probable
ity there will be few packers who will not
have a supply Of labels Of some sort to en-
able their goods to continue in interstate
trade. It has been suggested at the de-
partment that the misleading labels on
some of the old stock can be covered with
q paster that will comply with the law.
But no final arrangements In this line have
yet been made.