New-York tribune., 1906-06-05
From The r.tnuns Rnr.an.1


Washington. June 4-The President sent 20
Congress to-day his special message setting
forth the necessity of federal inspection Of the
packing industry, together with the report of
Special Commissioners Reynolds and NenL The
Senate adjourned so promptly, out OF respect
to Senator German. that neither communication
was read there. but both read in the House
and produced marked effect
Those who are not partial TO the Beef Trust
declare that the conditions revealed are such as
amply warrant the demand of the President for
remedial legislation.
Those who cherish tender spot for the pack
ing industry perceived in the Presidents an
nouncement that. in the absence of such Iegis-
lation. he would withhold federal inspection cer-
tihcates from canned goods intended for export
complication which the packers are powerless
to evade, and would unquestionabIy destroy the
valuable foreign trade in this class of exports.
The Presidents message is as follows:
The Senate and House of Representatives:
transmit herewith the report of Mr. James
Bronson Reynolds and Commissioner Charles
Z. Nell, the special committee whom I ap-
pointed 10 investigate into the conditions in
.re stochyards of Chicago and report thereon
10 me- This report is of preliminary nature.
submit it to you now because it shows the
urgent need of immediate action by the Con-
gress in the direction of providing drastic and
tIioroushgolns inspection by the federal govern
ment of all stoclyards and packing houses and
oI thelr products so far as the latter enter into
interstate or foreign commerce The conditions
shown by even this short inspection to exist in
the chicago stockyards revolving. II is i'm
perattvely necessary in the interest of health
and of decenCy that they should be radically
changed Under the existing law it is wholly
impossible to secure satisfactory results.
When my attention was first directed to this
matter an investigation made under the
Bureau OF Animal Industry of the Department.
OF Agriculture. When the preliminary state
ments of this investigation were brought to my
attention they showed such defects in the law
ana such wholly unexpected conditions that
ueeHed II pest 10 nave a further immediate
investigation by men not connected with the
bureau. and accordingly appointed Messrs. Reyn-
olds and NeiIl IT impossible under the ex-
listing law that satisfactory work should be done
by the Bureau of Animal Industry / am now
however examining the way in which the work
Before l nad received the report Of Messrs
Reynolds and Neil had directed that labels
placed upon any package of meat food products
should state only that the carcass Of the animal
from which the meat was taken had been in
sPected at the time Of slaughter. II inspection
OF meat Iood products at all stages of prepara-
ton is not secured by the passage OF the IegisIa
ton recommended shall feel compelled 20 order
that Inspection labels ard certificates on 2anasd
spr0du>tS Slali not De used hereafter.
NOT REASONABLY CLEAN
The report shows that the stockyards and
packing houses not kept even reasonably
clean and that the method of handling and pre-
pairing food products is uncleaHly and dangerous
TO health Under existing law the national gov
ernment has no power to enforce inspection of
that are daily going from the packing houses
into interstate commerce. Owing to an made
quate appropriation the Department of Agri-
culture is not even able to place inspectors In
all establishments desiring them The present
law prohibits the shipment Of uninspected meat
to foreign countries. but there is no provision
fOTbidiing the shipment of uninsDected meats
in interstate commerce. and thus the avenues
Of interstate commerce are left omen to trafic
in diseased or spoiled meats IT. has been
alleged on seemingly good authority further
evils exist such as the improper of chemi-
Gals and dyes. the government lacks power 10
remedy them a law is needed which will enable
the inspectors of the general government 10 in
spect and supervise from the hOof to the 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 other
prepared products.
In my Judgment the expense Of the inspection
should be paid by a fee levied on each animal
slaughtered If this is not DONE the whole pur-
pose of the law can at any time be defeated
through insufficient appropriation; and when
ever there was no particular public interest in
the subject II would be not only easy but natural
thus to make the appropriation insufficient II
1t We're not for this consideration I should favor
the government paying for ii.
cerning this feature should be allayed by a
realization of the fact that in no case. under
such a law. VIII the cost OF inspection exceed
eight cents head
INVESTIGATION UNFINISHED.
I call special attention 10 the fact that this
report is preliminary and that the investigation
is still unfinished. II is yet possible to
port the alleged abuses in the use or deieter1-
chemical compounds in connection with can
ming and preserving meat products, nor on the
alleged doctorng in this fashion of tainted meat
and OF products returned TO the packers as hav-
ing grown unstable or unusabe from age or
from other reasons. Grave allegations are made
in reference TO abuses OF this nature.
Let me repeat that under the present law there
is practically method of stopping these abuses
if they should be discovered 10 exist. Legislation
is needed i'm order prevent the possibility Of
all abuses in the future. IL no legislation Is
passed then the excellent results accomplished
by the work of this special committee will en-
dure only long the memory OF the COM
mittee'S work is fresh. and recrudesCence Of
the abuses is absolutely certain.
/ urge the immediate enactment into law Of
provisions which viii enable the Department Of
Agriculture adequately TO inspect the meat and
meat food products entering into inteTstate
commerce. and to supervise the methods of pre-
pairing the same. and TO prescribe the sanitary
conditions under which the work shall be per-
formed. therefore commend TO your favorable
consideration and urge the enactment Of sub
stantially the provisions known Senate
amendment No. 20 to the act making apprOpria-
tions for the Department of Agriculture for the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1907 passed by
the Senate. this amendment being commonly
known as the BeveTidge amendment.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
The White House. June !. 1905.