The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-10-05
NO REASON FOR
HIGH meat PRICES
Operation of New Inspection
Law Has Excluded Many
Dealers.
SLOW TO "cLEAN UP"
New Workers Thought the Matter Was
Not Worth Attention Until They
Bumped UP Against the
Facts.

Facts.
Washington. D.. c., Oct. AT
least seventy-five meat dealers and
packers throughout the United
states are without the pale of the
new meat inspection law, which be
came effective yesterday. according
to a statement by Secretary, Wilson.
Twenty-Five of these already nave
had inspections, but 1t was found
that their plants We're not in shape
to permit them to engage in inter-
state business,
Chicago, Oct. 4.-Thi-ty thousand
pounds of decomposed poultry was
condemned and seized at two cold
storage warehouses in this city by
the city health department today.
Analysis of the chickens by a chem
list showed they We're purified and
We're wholly unfit for food.
Washington, d. c., Oct. 4.-On the
taking effect of the new meat inspec-
zion law, Secretary Wilson reports for
the department of agriculture that
there have been appointed 1000 new
will yet be necessity for appointing
probably from 200 to 800 more. There
were already in the service, under the
old law, 7S3 inspectors. Concerning the
status of the inspection business, and
the outlook for the Inauguration of the
new conditions, Secretary Wilson mad
this statement
The new law requires us to inspect
all meats on hand We W twelve
laboratories at work on this now, at
tina 1arpra DnrEjrcr rnyfnrS ny in nthny-
large cities. In these laboratories thir-
ty chemists are at work. and we esti-
mate each chemist can handle fifteen
samples a day. We expect in a week
TO have examined samples of all the
meats on hand and to have given a
iected.
Forty Are Outside of Pale.
about forty establishments that had
Inspection under the old law have been
refused it under the new. They are
not yet ready for it by reason of fail
ure to comply with the terms of tho
law. Some of them will have done the
necessary cleaning and improving in "a
very short time, Ii then will be grant
ed inspection-not sooner.
w have granted 200 exemptions to
local butchers through this office, and
assume that q large number in addi-
ton have been granted by our superin-
tendents at different important points.
On these we have not a full reports
rs yet. Inspection has been granted to
nbout 400 establishments and, as 1 said
denied thus far to about forty, or 10
per cent. of HEM"
The secretary said the situation had
greatly improved in the last few days
at the large cities. especially Boston
conditions We're not at all satisfactory
because of the failure of the local deal.
ers to comply With the law. At Bos-
ton, where q unique system of supA
plying meat has existed, the dealers
have, on being shown tine dangers of
their situation, promptly taken steps to
get within the law. They have all
written to their country butchers to
apply for certificates of exemption.
New York Men Slow.
comfy last Friday evening we re-
ceived a delegation Of New York meat
men. who explained that they hadn't
realized the situation, and We're not pre-
pared to meet the requirements of the
law. We told them to go home and get
their establishments in order right
away. When the railroads refuse to
accept their meats for interstate trans
portation we will let them have eNemp-,
ions till they a be investigated and
can learn what ones are doing q
business which requires inspection.
Then they Will get ii when they have
complied with the law, and not other
wise. ,
There is no danger Of a meat famine
in any part of the country. We have
IN this department no means to prevent
a rise in prices if the meat men are
able to combine and enforce it: that
would be for the department of justice
to consider. There is nothing in the CON
ditions attending the inauguration of
k1~ ,,-,,, -, 10 s,,-% - ~:r-
nnd 1 don't think the big packers could
enforce it if they tried, because there
is too much competition. When you
count the local killing establishments
all over the country. at every city and
town. and the farm slaughtering, you
will realize that in the aggregate there
is lots of competition. We are doing
everything possible to help these small
slaughterers to comply with the law,
becausethere must be protection for thu
public against a possible combination
Of the big ones to force up prices"