The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-16
The Presldent,s Letter.
"The White House.

My Dear MT. WadswOrth: have gone over your bill very carefully and not only obtained a report from MT. McCabe as I told you would, but also Obtained 8 re- port from Mir. Reynolds on it. am sorry 10 say the more closely investigate your proposed substitute. the worse I find 1t. Almost every change is one for the worse; 90 that it hardly seems necessary for me to enlImerate them. Perhaps the amend ment as you have now drafted 1t, Is not quite as bad as 1t was when you sub- mitted 1t to me in the first instance, but 1t Is very very bad.
 There seems to be one point in which 1t is possible that the amendment is even worse than the original amendment, if as seems likely, there is no provision for making plants accessible at all hours to the inspectors. In any event. am sorry to have to say that this strikes me as an amendment which, no matter how unin- tentionally, Is framed so as to minimize the chance of roofing out the evil In the packing business. Doubtless it suits the packers who object to a thorough-going inspection. much better than the Senate amendment. and have no doubt that not only the packers, but their allies in busi- ness, and the stockgrowers. who are in- 1iuenced by them, would prefer it.
 Heavy Blow to Stock RaIsers.
 sBut I am convinced 1t would in the long run be a heavy blow to the honest stockraiser and the honest packer to adopt these provisions, rather than the far better ones contained I the Senate amendment; for as comn ed with the Senate amendment this proposed amend rnent which you tell me is that of the majority of the House committee. would hamper in the most grossly improper fashion the secretary of agriculture in doing the work which you have appointed him to do, and will prevent even so much n< Ina at a11 being well and thoroughly done. If the bill should go through in the form that the majority of your committee proposes, 1t might be that should sign 1t as work ing certain slight improvement over the present laws; but if so I should ac- company 1t by memorandum explicitly stating how grave the defects were, and I cannot even promise to sign 1t because the provisions about the courts, as well as about other matters, are so bad that in my opinion if they had been deiber- ately designed to prevent the remedying of the evils complained of, they could not have been worse
 "It seems to me that the surest way to keep our foreign trade from us, and in- deed our interstate trade likewise in a thoroughly unsatisfactory condition, and to prevent it's resuming the position which 1t formerly held is to enact the law in the shape proposed in the appointments S,
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT. Hon James Wadsworth. Chairman Con-
 mittee on Agriculture, House of Repre-
 senatives."
 Chairman Wadsworth's Reply.
 Committee on agriculture, House of Representatives.
 ''Washington, D. C., June 15. 1906.
 My Dear MT. President-I received your letter last night. You are wrong, very, very wrong in your estimate of the com mittee's bill. It is as perfect a piece of legislation to carry into effect your own views on this question as was ever pre- pared by a committee of Congress. Ev- cry member of the committee is absolute ly honest and sincere as yourself in his desire to secure the passage of a rigid meat inspection bill. They know the mean ing of the English language.
 ITO show you how unreliable the in- formation is upon which you base your opinion of the bill, call your attention to the following language in your letter:
 There Is no provision for making tho plants accessible at all hours to the in- spectors.'
 If you will turn to page of the bill (copy enciosed), line two, you will find the following words:
 "'And for the purpose of such exami- nation and inspection said inspectors shall have access at all times to every part of said establishment
 "Can the English language be made any plainer?
 Turn also to page 6. line sixteen, and you will find this language:
 Can Go In Night Time.
 "'The secretary of agriculture shall cause an examination and inspection of cattle sheep. swine and goats, and the food products thereof slaughtered and prepared in the establishments hereinbe- fore described for the purpose of inter- state or foreign commerce, to be made during the night time, as well as during tAs day time. when the slaughtering of