Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-18
CHICAGO MEATS
COMMONS TOPIC
British Legislators Probing
Their Army Supplies
TO SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS
Query About the Canned Chicken in
the House Cafe.
WANT CERTIFIED INSPECTION
Board Of Trade Considering Question
Of Further Powers for Dealing
With Imported Foods.
Query About the Canned Chicken in
the House Cafe.
WANT CERTIFIED INSPECTION

LONDON, June IS.-Chicago
meat again formed the subject of
several questions in the house of
commons today. Mr.. Hicks Beach.
conservative, son of the former
chancellor of the exchequer, asked
War Secretary Haldane what guam
tity of Chicago canned meat was
supplied to the troops in South
Africa during the late war, and what
proportion of enteric deaths ought
more properly to have been de-
scribed as due to ptomaine poison
ing.
The secretary replied that rather more
than half the canned meat supplied to the
British troops In South Africa during the
late war came from the United States He
could not say how much of this came from
Chicago The war Office knew nothing of
any cases of enteric fever which could be
classed as ptomaine poisoning
Mr.. Lea. liberal. wanted to know whether,
in view of the fact that the committee on
agriculture of the United States House OF
Representatives had omitted In drawing
up the meat inspection bill. to stipulate
that the packers stamp the date of manu-
facture on each article of food sold. tho
war office would not issue an army order
requiring every can of meat supplied to tho
army to be plainly stamped with the date
of manufacture.
Stamping a Condition of Contracts.
The secretary ~reassured Mr.. Lea, inform
ing him that it had long been a condition
or ordinary war office contracts that tins
OF preserved food must have the date OF
manufacture stamped visibly inside the tins
Replying to a question based on the dis
covery In the dining room of the house of
commons OF box marked "Armour's (St
Louis, Chicago and Kansas City, chickens"
Mr. Jacoby, chairman of the kitchen conn
mittee. assured the house that no food OF
any kind used in the house of commons
comes from Chicago. Mr.. Jacoby added
that he was making an investigation as to
how the box came on the premises
Mr. Starkey, conservative, asked IL in
view OF the fact that several persons died
recently at Hull after eating Argentine
meat and the nsanitary cond tions under
which American meat was prepared the
president of the board ftrade would not
take Immediate steps to have each consgn-
ment of foreign meat timed or otherwise
inspected on arrival in this country and a
certificate issued showing the date of in
Spection.
Board Wants Further Powers.
The president of the board of trade, how
ever, said he was not In a position at pres
ent to take the course suggested, but he
added that the board was considering the
question of obtaining further powers for
dealing with imported foods
To another question War Secretary Hal
dane said he was only aware OF one case
in the last two months in which troops
had refused to eat rations of canned meat
sample of which was now under the ex-
animation of an analyst.
AS to the total discontinuance of timed
meat rations in peace times Mr.. Haldane
said that stocks of such meats were al
ways kept in reserve for war purposes. IL
had been the practice periodically to issue
these to the troops, thus turning over the
stock and avoiding any loss to the public
If the practice can be continued consistent
ly with the foremost consideration namely,
the health and well being of the troops, 1t
would be continued, but not unless inves-
tigatiOn shows that no danger is TO be ap-
pretended.