The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-04
PRESIDENT SAYS
WHAT ABOUT MEAT.
( Continued From First Page.

4 CONTINUED From First Page.
port Of James Bronson Reynolds and
clal committee whom l appointed to
investigate into the conditions in the
stockyards of Chicago and report there
on to me.
This report is of preliminary ma
eure; submit it to you now because
it shows the urgent need of inmedi-
ATE ate ACTON ~ the congress in the direc-
going inspection by the federal govern
ment Of all stockyards and packing
houses and Of their products 80 far
as the latter enter into interstate or
foreign commerce. The conditions
shown by even this short inspection to
exist in the Chicago stockyards are re-
voting. It is imperatively necessary,
should be radically changed. Under
the existing law it is wholly impossi-
BILE to secure satisfactory results.
When my attention was first direct
ed to this matter, an investigation was
! made under the bureau of animal in
dustry Of the department of agricul-
ture. When the. preliminary state
| ments Of this investigation were
! brought. to my attention, they showed
such defects in the law and such Who'll
~ unexpected conditions, that deemed
| it best to have further immediate in
vestigation by men not connected with
the bureau and accordingly appointed
Messrs Reynolds and Neill. It was
impossible under the existing law that
the bureau of animal industry. 1 am
now, however, examining the way in
which the work actually was done.
| N, o1,a1o
>"Before I had received the report
Of Messrs. Reynolds and Neill, I had
directed that labels placed upon any
packages of meat food products should
state only that the carcass OF the ami
NAL from. which the meat was taken
had been inspected at the time Of
slaughter. If inspection Of meat food
products at all stages Of preparation is
not secured by the passage Of legisla-
ton recommended, I shall feel com
PEELED to order that inspection labels
and certificates on canned products shall
not be used hereafter
yards and packing houses are not kept
even reasonably clean, and that the
method of handling and preparing food
products is uncleanly and dangerous
to health. Under. existing law the ma
tional government has no power to en-
force inspection of the many forms of
prepared meat food products that are
daily going from the packing houses
into interstate commerce. Owing to an
inadequate appropriation, the depart
ment Of agriculture is not even able to
place inspectors in; all establishments
desiring them. The present law pro
hibits the shipment of .uninspected
meat to foreign countries, but there is
no provision forbidding the shipment
Of uninspected meats in interstate COM
merce,. and thus the avenues Of inter
fc in diseased or spoiled meats. If, as
has been alleged ontseemingly good au-
thority, further evils exist, such asithe
improper use of chemicals and dyes,
the government lacks power to remedy
them. .,-
r. The Law Needed. = ~
"A law is needed which will enable
the inspectors Of the general govern
ment to inspect and supervise from
r the hoof to the can the preparation Of
the meat food product. The evil seems
to be much less in the sale of dressed
carcasses than in the sale of,canned and
less as. regards products sent abroad
than as regards those used at home.
I Gin my Judgment the expense Of the
inspection should be paid by fee
levied on each animal slaughtered. II
this is not done, the whole purpose tot
the law can at any time be defeated
thru an insufficient appropriation; ano
lie interest in the subject it would be
, not only easy but natural thus to make
the appropriation insufficient If il
were not for this consideration, I SHOULD
favor the government paying for it.
"The alarm expressed in certain
quarters concerning this feature should
; be allayed by a realization of the fact
that in no case, under such law, will
the cost of inspection exceed cents
: Report Preliminary : j:
! II call special attention to the fact
) that this report is preliminary and thai
is not yet possible to report on the. al
legged abuses in the use of deleteriou:
chemical compounds in connection will
!" canning and preserving meat products
T. nor on the alleged doctoring in Thu
fashion of tainted meat and OF product
I returned to the packers as having
' grown unstable or unuseable from ag
q or other reasons. Grave allegations ar
made in reference to abuses of thi
nature. - IN
! NI.et me repeat that under the pres
!. ent law there practically is no metho'
!, Of stopping these abuses if they shoul.'
n be discovered to exist. Legislation /
J. needed in order to prevent the posi-
J bility of all abuses in the future. |
7. no legislation is passed, then the ex
i cellent results accomplished by tn
0 work Of this special committee vii
r endure, only so long as the memory o
l. the committee $ work is fresh and re
n crudescence Of the abuses is absolutel
certain. v, =
Immediate Action Urged.
- t'I urge the immediate enactmen
> into law Of provisions which will er
. able the department Of agriculture ade
. quately to inspect the meat and tn
!, meat food products entering into 1nte1
: state commerce and to supervise tn
l. methods of preparing the same, an
g to prescribe the sanitary, condition
! with which the work shall be pei
formed. I therefore recommend to you
e favorable consideration and urge tn
8 enactment of substantially the PR
s. visions known as senate amendment NJ
/ 20 to the act making appropriation
for the department of agriculture &c
The fiscal wear ending June ~, l9O,
as passed by the senate, this amene
Ie ment being commonly known as tn
l. Beveridge amendment. ;.
g. -s'Theodore Roosevelt. -
! ELEVEN ARE KILLED
4 a IN TR0IIFY GcCIDEN'