The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-13
MOndeII Thinks Too Much is
 Made of Situation
MILLIONS HAVE BEEN LOST
MT. SIayden of Texas Also condemnt the Methods By Which the Nell-
 Reynolds Report Has Been
 Placed Before the Public.

Washington, June 12.-An echo of the
 elll-Reynolds report on the packing
 houses of Chicago was heard today in the
 House when Mir Mondel of Wyoming, in
 a speech precpitated discussion Of the
 whole question of government inspection.
 MT. Mondell observed that the house of
 commons in England yesterday had under
 consideration the subject of American
 meat products, which he said called at-
 tention to the far-reachlng and disastrous
 effect of the present agitation, and to
 what he declared to be an unfortunate
 misconception of the facts and of the
 nature and character of criticisms made
 officially or unoffcaily Of packing house l methods.
 MT. Mondell said:
 Report Is Hypercritica. "I consider 1t most unfortunate for the
 great packing and cattle industries; for
 the peace of mind of our people; for our
 good name abroad that it should have
 been deemed necessary in order to call
 attention to the somewhat careless hand
 ling In some packing houses of certain
 meat products constituting an ininitesmal
 proportion of the entire product, and to
 certain unsanitary conditions affecting
 some workers in the meat packing in-
 dustres with view of securing or re- | commenting an extension of federal in-
 spection, to place before the country in
 manner calculated to magnify the con- 1 tents of certain reports which bear on their faces the stamp Of hypercritical
 criticism If not visionary bias" l MT. Sayden of Texas condemned the
 methods used in placing the Neiil-Rey-
 holds report before the public. For days" he said, 'the country has
 been disturbed over the revelations made l by special commission on the filthy con-
 dition of Chicago slaughter houses This
 exposure of what [ do not doubt was an
 almost criminal state of lndencency. had to
 come some time and I hope will result
 in good. Whether the reform could have
 been effected in a different way I shall not
 undertake to say. although the thought l will ntrude itself that had there been
 less beating of drums, less faring of trum-
 pets. less of the yellow journal methods,
 the work of reform might have been just as effectual, and the sacrifice of honest
 wealth not so appalling. l am not speak
 ing a word of sympathy for the packers. | Whatever offense there is, has come from
 them, and while they may lose millions by l the agitations. they will have millions
 left most of it sweated from the brow
 fthe cattle producers who finally have
 to pay the shot
 All Harm Has Been Done. "So far as the report is concerned. all
 the harm has been done that can be done. I Xfa for ffa adt l The facts ought to be known at once. | Another and an impartial committee of | investigation should be sent to Chicago | at once to investigate the report. The prosperity and the comfort of too many | people are tied up in the matter to let 1 1t drag. I don't know how far under | the restraints of the constitution con- | gress can go in the regulation of this | great business, but do know that sorne- | where in tho federal union in the state, l of Illinois, or in the city of Chicago,
 or in other cities power must be found l which can and will compel the packers | to do business in way that will restore l the confidence of consumers, or the dis tress among ranchmen and farmers which l is now acute will become chronic and 1 may precipitate a panic in the whole l business world. The remedy must be 1 quickly found and rigidly applied. "It has been suggested that the charge l of inspection which Is proposed to be es- | fHblSned small De DOIHs DJ 1 and ranchmen in a per capita tax to be 1 levied on their cattle Against that 1 scheme I protest in the name of all my l constituents and of justice. Let us l charge the cost of maintaining officers of the government to the government not to | the cattle breeders. Let HIS abandon hys- | tera and get to a sane consideration of | this question, and re-establish this great
 business on a plane of prosperity by re- | storing confidence to the consumers" | Mir. Ames of Massachusetts followed in
 q defense of the president and fin favor of | the packers paying the cost of inspec- | ton.
 No Sympathy for Packers. 'I have no sympathy whatever for the packers who deliberately brought this storm of righteous indignation against their methods upon themselves and [
 have the greatest sympathy for the ex- ecutive. who, to rectify a crying evil, was forced, much against his desires. to | make public the report that he well knew
 would reap a whirlwind of horror and
 reproach for one of our greatest indus tries.
 "As for the packers and the hubbub and cry they have raised, I cannot be content with the shameless acquisition | of countless fortunes from tainted sources by men safe in their belief of their own immunity, arrogant in their escape from the processes of courts: violators of our laws against Illegal combinations, spread CTS of the white plague. slaughterers of humanity. and who, fin order to save 1 paltry two millions by threats of lowering 1 the price of cattle. would drive their very victims in their own defense and risk yes bring ruin to every cattle raiser in | the land. To provide that the govern ment should pay the cost of inspection.
 would be completely to nullfy the pur- 1 pose of the bill.''
 MT. Ames said the statement made by certain parties that tho president had 1 given his tscit consent to the proposed l changes fin the Beveridge bill. Is abso- 1 lutely denied He continued: we are agreed that a great wrong has been perpetrated upon humanity; that
 great hardship has rightly or wrongly been placed on large and varied industrial and agricultural interests; we are agreed that all meats should be properly in- spected, and that the wrong done and damage caused can be remedied none too l quickly: Then cease trying to emascu- 1 late the Beveridge bill"