Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-09
ITS POLITICAL EFFECTS
THE CHICAGO BEEF EXPOSURES
AND THEIR PROBABLE RESULT.

Far-reaching political effects are expected
from the Chicago beef exposures. The at
mosphere at the White House all through
the week has been surcharged with excite
ment, and many of the callers there have
the meat investigation. 1t is recognized
that the President has brought himself
squarely IN opposition to the committee on
agriculture of the House, and the letter
that he yesterday addressed to Chairman
Wadsworth and then gave out is regarded
as about the most singing rebuke that
could be administered to member OF
Congress-. 1t Is taken to indicate, too, that
the President believes he is In the right
and Is being thwarted in just legislation
by the agricultural committee; also that he
has more ammunition in reserve which he
will not hesitate to use If occasion requires
Many of the members Of the House say
also that Chairman Wadsworth has shown
a remarkable bias all through the investi-
CATION in favor of the packers and against
the representatives of the President; that,
In fact, If Mr. Wadsworth had been the
paid attorney of the beef trust he could
hardly have worked harder or more con-
sistently In their interests.
The political results that are looked for
are in the nature of split between the
east and west. The disclosures which the
PRESIDENT Is charged with having prectpi-
ia ted have already had the effect of materi-
ally reducing the foreign meat sales Of the
trust, some estimate by 90 per cent.
Whether the trust thoroughly controls
prices. as alleged. or whether 1t does not,
as 1t declares, the result apparently will be
a decline In the price of cattle, and this
will have its political effect all through the
cattle-raising country On the other hand.
all the people in the country eat meat, and
most of them canned meat WELL SO that
the bulk of interest, 1t appears, would be in
favor of exposure of corruption and clean
ing up wherever 1t was needed.
Mr.. overstreet's Views.
Perhaps an indication Of the House SEN
tfment on the meat question could be gath
cred from talk with Representative Over
street who called at the White House
early today. He said that the House would
undoubtedly agree On "a fair measure Of
meat inspection" He said that while he
could not speak with any authority, he
thought that the House was in favor of
necessary, but not drastic legislation. He
would not attempt to say whether the
general sentiment was In favor of putting
the cost Of inspection on the packers or on
the government, but intimated that II the
cost were put on the packers 1t would be
taken out of the consumer. When asked
whether this would not be the case wheth-
er the government or the packers paid for
the inspection. he admitted that this was
a possibility, but declined to commit him
self.
Perhaps Mr.. Oyerstreets utterances on
the meat question should not be given too
much weight, seeing that in this case Sena-
tor Beveridge Is at the other end of the
line. and Mr.. Overstreet and Senator Bev-
eridge have not been discovered doing any
Damon and Pythias stunts together for
some time past. In fact, some of his IN
formal remarks on the lack of scrutiny to
which the now famous Beveridge amend
ment was subjected in the Senate indi-
Gated that he did not think much of the
measure.
There is no doubt, however, that the
packers have enough friends In the House
to block any drastic legislation. unless the
President has more sensational revelations
in reserve than outsiders credit him with.
If these friends have their way there will
not be enough Of the Beveridge amendment
left when they get through to flag hand
car with. At the same time they will en-
deavor to frame up measure that will on
the face of it look like fairly stringent
regulation.