New-York tribune., 1906-05-27
MEAT INSPECTION.

The drastic meat inspection bill which so
| suddenly and Unexpectedly passed the United
States Senate on Friday involves an extension
of the functions OF the federal government
which would have made even the believers in
Capitalization of few years ago gasp. Yet
this inspection Of meat though intended only
for local consumption, is universally supported
by public opinion and is achieved with due re-
gard for the constitutional rights of the states.
II is admittedly within the right of any packer
to resist the inspection, but the penalty of re-
slstance is the exclusion Of his products from
interstate commerce, so that unless he is pre-
pared to confne himself solely to local busi-
ness handicapped by the reputation of refusing
government inspection, he must conform to the
rules prescribed by the United States.
There cannot be the slightest doubt Of the
necessity of government inspection. The pres
ent law unfortunately operates to turn into the
American market the inferior products Of the
packing houses. The existing government in
spection was established In the interests of the
packers themselves to enable them to meet
the requirements of foreign countries. 1t Sc
cured healthful meat for the export trade, but
SO far as the domestic trade was concerned the
inspection, far from being Of value to the con-
sumer, was rather injury to him. Not only
did it promote the export Of the best meats
but it enabled the packers to label rs prepared
domestic consumption which had not been ade-
uuately Inspected AS the federal inspectors
had no power TO destroy condemned animals
and their disposition rested with the local au-
thorities these disease meats found their way
into the local markets Of the packing towns.
However much recently published accounts Of
unsanitary conditions in the packing houses and
Of frauds practsed in palming off diseased
meats on the public may have been exag-
gerated, there can be no doubt that the sys-
TEN of inspection is open to grave abuses. pro-
notes fraud upon the cattle raiser, whose best
cattle may be subjected to suspicion by inspeo-
tors and then sold at auction for small sums
to packers who put them on the market as
first class meat and, while giving the domes-
tio consumer no effectual guarantee, allows the
packer the advantage of advertising govern
ment inspection which does not really inspect.
When the pending bill was first proposed the
packers were strenuous in their opposition, but
they are now said to have changed their tactics,
preferring to submit TO this drastic measure
rather than provoke further investigation and
a report upon their Methods which might compel
even more severe laws awaken a popular dis
trust for their products, and perhaps arouse
foreign governments to prohibit meat importa-
tions from this country. Whatever their motive
their opposition to more strict inspection seems
to have ceased and though they may demand
some concessions there Is every prospect that
the new measure will soon be upon the statute
book. It provides for postmortem examination
Of all animals slaughtered for human consump-
ton, the tagging Of all carcasses placed upon
the market and the absolute destruction of all
meats condemned as unfit for food.
So far as words go, the measure seems to be
adequate. but everything will depend upon its
enforcement 1t is charged that in the pract-
cal operation Of the present law too much dis
cretion Is left to the inspectors. Meats which
ought utterly to be destroyed are utilized for
domestic trade in forms such as lard and sau-
sage in which the danger of disease is con-
cealed and perhaps eliminated, though it is
impossible to contemplate their consumption as
human food with patience. Also the methods
of inspection said to be such that condeIn-
nation tags may be removed and the carcasses
smuggled into the market as Of good quality.
The new inspection must guard against these
dangers, and must be made on comprehensive
a scale that expert judgment will be passed on
all animals brought to the slaughter houses,
and with such safeguards that condemned
carcasses can under any disguise be converted
into human food. The passage Of even the best
of laws will be a deusiOn and a snare If it IS
not followed up by thorough work of enforce
ment, sustained by a sensitive public opinion