Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-06-07
Washington Letter.
lFRoM OUR REG ULAR CoRREsPoNDENT.)
Saturday. June 3, 1906.

(FROM OUR REG ULAR CORREkPONDENT.)
Saturday, June 2. 1906.
The most interesting subject before
Congress and the country at present is
that of the exposure Of the outrageous
conditions which prevail in the great
slaughtering and packing houses OF the
West and possibly of the East. In fact
all other questions are for the time OBJ
scured by this and there is little doubt
but that other business III Congress will
be put aside for the enactment of legis
lation that will look toward improving
the situation there. The Government
has long been dilatory in regard to the
beef trust and ever since the days Of
the embalmed beef scandal during the
late war the subject has from time to
time been revived but it was not unit
the publication of"The Jungle" noy
Ell revealing the disgrace of Packing
town" that the President and the coun.
try at large became thoroughly aroused
and serious movement was undertak
en- to clean house there. The report
secured by the President from his two
representatives sent to Chicago to in
vestigate the slaughtering and packing
industry has not been made public but
it is said to confirm the statements Of
Mr.. Sinclair as to the diseased and poi
eoned meats which are sold with the
Government stamp upon them. Inves
tigators report that meats are packed
in surroundings abhorrently filthy, and
by employees having tuberculosis and
loathsome disease; that cattle and hogs
suffering with tuberculosis, lumpy jaw,
and other diseases are not destroyed
but packed and sent out whenever the
traces of disease can be removed, or
when this is impossible used as sausage,
ported ham and other delicaces in
which the defects can be concealed and
that the refuse Of diseased animals, the
lumpy jaws, ulcerous flesh, tubercular
glands, unborn calves, cow udders and
gristle masquerade as sausage, veal loaf
ported chicken, canned breakfast bacon
aud the like, while decayed and putre-
flying meats are treated with tormalde-
hyde, painted and dyed to tie color Of
fresh meats and doctored with borax
and other preservatives. Senator Bev
eridge's bill which provides that an
adequate number Of inspectors shall be
employed to inspect the meat and that
they shall have the power to destroy
meat condemned has passed the Senate
and is likely to pass the lower House
though it will have serious opposition
there as Speaker Cannon comes from
the Beef Trust centre and has declared
that be will look after their Interests. y
The expenditures that will have been
authorized by Congress when it ad-
journs will probably not be greatly in
excess Of $650,OOO.O0O considerable
reduction under those authorized in
the corresponding long session of the
Fifty Eighth Congress. That Congress
was known as the "billion dollar Con-
gress" as its appropriations ran up to
that mark for permanent and annual
expenditures. House leaders say that
if appropriations are not materially in.
creased in The Senate the deficit In the
revenues will be reduced to about $40, :
100000 by July l, 1907, and probably
wiped out altogether.
Secretary Taft has been before the
House Committee on Appropriations
giving his opinion on Canal matters.
Discussing the work be said: IF you
will abolish the Commission and leave
it to the President to select his agents
and make the appropriations suffice ut
to pay such agents it would be exactly
what the situation needs, but we have
supposed it would be difficult to get
that through Congress and so we are
working along. The work of the Ca
nal has in reality just begun, in fact
we are just ready to begin" Chairman
Shouts was also heard and concerning
the time which will be required to dig
the waterway be said: THAT accord
ing to the estimates of engineer Stevens
who has given more thought and study
to the matter than any other person. it
would take about seyen years. Mr..