Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-14
The Jubilation of the Packers.

Chairman Wadsworth's committee OF the
House returns the agricultural appropria-
ton bill TO that body with It's chief Item OF
interest so changed and modified and dis
torted that It is hardly to be recognized.
The meat inspection provision adopted by the
Senate comes before the House in a shape
which is hailed by the meat packing inter-
ests as a victory for that side The reJo'c-
ings OF the packers arouse the public sus-
picions. Just what stamps the new form of
the inspection paragraph as questionable
from the consumers point of view?
There are four points in particular which
may he thus regarded. First of all is the
provision that the entire cost OF the inspec-
ton is to be borne by the government. IL
has been urged emphatically by the Presi-
dent the Secretary of Agriculture ana
others who have investigated the subject
that the cost should be imposed upon the
packers. on the ground that thereby only
can the system be maintained in proper
ton to the needs. II annual appropriations
are necessary the packers will have
powerful leverage with which to reduce the
efficiency of the service from year to year
The stubborn insistence of the packers upon
a government assumption of the cost In
the face of the positive belief that they
would. If charged with the expense. prompt
ly shift il TO the cattle raiser or the con-
sumer or both. has been regarded by the
public as a sign that the appropriation
method must be the least desirable. The
packers have won that point.
Next. the committee has consented to a
provision that labels on canned goods are
not to be dated. The packers camored
against the Beveridge amendment on this
ground. Disclaiming any possibility that
ancient canned goods are unwholesome.
they nevertheless acknowledged that they
feared to trust to the imaginations of the
consumers, when confronted by the confess
sion that the goods were three or four years
old 1t has been proposed that In all reason
the consumer has a right to know the age
OF the product II two or three-year-old
can is as wholesome as one a month old
the purchaser will soon discover the fact.
He may claim. with reason. that leftover
goods should sell for less money than fresh
goods But II he refuses to buy the old
stuff the packers would, under the dating
system. be compelled to meet the market
demands more exactly. They might pos
sibly be compelled to stop forcing goods
upon retailers as II is charged they are In
the habit of doing at present. But what
ever the merits OF the controversy. the
packers won out In committee.
The committee yielded on another point,
the permissve use of preservatives. Al
though the paragraph on this subject pro
hibits the use of chemicals or preseryatves
in the preparation OF meat goods (which
are deleterious to health il leaves the de-
cislon of this point to the Secretary of
Agriculture and then grants a broad liberty
OF court review on all questions. Thus IL
the Secretary OF Agriculture decides against
the use OF a certain chemical the packers
have the opportunity to carry the case into
court and suspend the operation of the law
in this particular for a long time while
arguments and appeals are spun out to the
lengths familiar TO corporation attorneys.
This privilege Of court review is so broad
Is stated in the committee report that IL
adopted it is likely TO interfere seriously
with the inspection system. Indeed. in
come respects the appeal paragraph is the
chief factor in the packers victory in COM
alittee The Secretary of Agriculture is
virtually superseded by the courts In his
bpntrol of the inspection service.
The House will now have the opportunity
D. pass upon the committees report. The
changes from the Beveridge amendment are
so radical and significant and menaeing
TO the satisfactory working of the inspee-
ton scheme that full debate is demanded
by the public interest