The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-06-20
INSPECTION AGREEMEN
Arrived at by the President and
the House Committee.
Amended Bill viii Appropriate $3r
ooo,Coo For Cost Of Inspection.
Court Review Provision Eliminated.
No Date on Label of Packed Goods
Civil Service Waiver Omitted.

No Date on Label Of Packed Goods
Civil Service Waiver Omitted.
A meat inspection provision was
completed by the house committee
on agriculture which it Is declared
by the committee will insure that
American meats and meat products
are healthful, clean and in every re-
spect wholesome and fit for food.
The important features of the leg.
islation are that 1t places the cost
of the inspection on the government
and makes an annual automatic appro-
priation of $2,OO0,0OO to pay the ex
penses. 1t requires a rigid post-mor.
TEN and ante-mortem inspection of all
animals killed for food.
1t requires a government label as
passport for all meat and meat pro-
ducts which enter interstate commerce
and in addition to this label certifi'
cate of purity to the carrier and to the
secretary of agriculture for all such
products which enter foreign com
merce.
To secure this label, the product
must be handled in accordance with
sanitary regulations to be prescribed
by the secretary of agriculture, who is
authorized to employ, without regard
to the civil service law for the first
year, an adequate corps of efficient in.
spectors to supervise the enforcement
of his regulations
1t prohibits the use of preservatives
or chemicals deleterious to health In
the preparation of meat foods and
leaves the matter of determining this
question to the secretary of agricul.
ture. The label on the product is to
indicate the ingredients, but the date
of manufacture is not required to be
stated
There are many penalty clauses at.
taching to violations of all these pro-
visions. The common carrier is sub.
ject to heavy penalty If he accepts
for transportation any goods not bear
ing the government label, or in case
of foreign shipments, in addition to the
label, not accompanied by the re-
quired certificate. The packers are
subject to a heavy penalty for false
labelling as to contents of packages.
Trade names are to be allowed in
some cases, in the discretion of the
secretary, but in all cases the contents
of the packages must be stated.
The violation of any of the provis.
ions of the regulations is made mis-
demeanor, punishable by fine not to
exceed $4,000, or Imprisonment not
to exceed two years.
There is a special penalty against
the bribery of inspectors, being i'm
prisonment from one to three years
and fine of from one to ten thousand
dollars for offering bribe and the
same punishment for the acceptance
OF a bribe on the part of the inspec-
tors.
Farmers and small butchers are eX
cepted from the operations OF the reg.
ulation.
This conclusion of the committee
was reached after three full days of
consideration following the exhaustive
hearings held in connection with the
official reports regarding conditions In
the packing houses at Chicago, the
statement of the packers and the rep
reservations of the livestock raisers.
Washington, June 19.-The basis
of a complete agreement on the meat
inspection legislation between Presi-
dent Roosevelt and the house com.
mittee on agriculture was arrived at
yesterday at the White House. Speak.
er Cannon represented the committee
in this instance and subsequently
spent some time explaining the situa.
tion to the committee in its room at
the Capitol.
The bill was practically completed
when the committee adjourned for the
day.
1t will authorize an annual -appro-
priation Of $3,000,000 to pay the cost
of inspection and will contain no pro.
vision for the levy of an assessment
to make up any deficiency in the
amount available for this work, as
suggested by Mr.. Cowan, representing
the Texas cattle growers, and later
urged by the president.
The court review provision will not
be contained in the measure. This
action meets the suggestion of the
president.
The words "ln the judgment of the
secretary of agriculture will not be
inserted as suggested by the presi.
dent, and this conclusion now meets
Mr.. Roosevelt's approval.
There is to be no date on the label
of the packing of meat food products.
In this the president yields to the
committee. The language which gives
inspectors the right of admission to
the packing plants at all times is am
plitied by the words Whether the
same be in operation or not"
The section waving the civil service
law for one year in the selection of in.
spectors will 20 out of the provision,
also one of the presidents recommend
ations
With these changes made, the pres.
ident has indicated his entire satisfac.
tion with the measure which was re.
ported from the committee as a sub
stitute for the Beveridge amendment
and was then recommitted to the com.
mittee that the changes might be
made.
Ordinarily Speaker Cannon does not
take such an active part In legislation
as he has in the present instant. II
had been eXplained however. that he