Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-01
MEAT INSPECTION LAW
IT GOES INTO EFFECT TODAY
NO ESTABLISHMENT Is EXEMPT.

Today the new government meat inspec-
ton law goes into effect. There are lot
OF packers and shippers who put off getting
ready for the government inspection, and
the result is that the Department Of Agri-
culture has been flooded with belated re-
quests for government inspection.
Briefly the matter stands about fol-
lows: There are q out of the 153 big pack
ing houses previously receiving government
inspection who will not be granted it until
they have cleaned up their plants. This
means that they can do a state business as
heretofore. but no railroad or other COM
mon carrier can accept their products for
shipment In interstate trade until they have
received the sanction Of the government
label
There are about fifty Of the larger con-
Germs which need government inspection to
carry On anything besides q state business
and which have not been granted II be-
cause they were not in sanitary condition
for inspection Then there are from dfty
to leo more firms which have assured the
Department Of Agriculture. which has the
k>,rd Of a meat inspection law or did not
know that # applied to their establish
mentAA
Temporarily Out Of Business.
Thus there will be q large number Of
nrms temporarily. at least. put out Of
business. At the same time the Depart
nent Of Agriculture has extended the
number Of inspectors In the service. and
there are about Loco men. p per cent OF
whom are veterinarians, who are ready
to 20 to work under the new law today.
There were previously between 100 and
500 inspectors in the service. and there
have been 400 additions to the list. so
that any packer can get inspection who
needs fl and rs ready for it.
Many Of the smaller firms have cellars
and subcellars. and even Sub-subcellars
for cOld-Storage purposes. Many Of these
with be wiped out by the new law. and
they cannot do an interstate business Till
their plants are reconstructed along saui-
tary lines approved by the Department
of Agriculture.
There will not be much trouble with the
meat products already packed and await
ing shipment in the storehouses of the
manufacturers. The Department of Agri-
culture has thirty chemists at work In
twelve laboratories inspecting samples of
the goods already put up and they are
dispoSng Of $50 samples a day, so that
all of the stock on hand will soon be
disposed of.
Local Conditions.
All the transportation lines running out
of Washington are preparing for business
shipment of meat and meat products No
transportation company can accept ship
ment Of meat or meat product from this
city to another state or territory without it
oeing accompanied by certificate showing
that 1t had been inspected. or was exempt
from inspection under the recent act of
Congress
Not only are the shipments made by the
big wholesale houses required to be &C
eompanied by these certificates. but re-
taller shipping a cut OF beef. or pound
or two of pork chops other meat for
a customers dinner, must also send the
proper certificate with it If it is to go out
side the District. or the transportation
company. under the law. will have to refuse
to accept the shipment.
The river steamboat lines were at first
thought to be exempt from the provisions
Of the law. but on inquiry made at the
Department of Agriculture by represen-
tative of one of the lines doing business on
the Potomac, 1t was learned that the steam
boat lines as well as the railroads came
under the law. Not only must all ship
ments Of meat out of the city have a certi-
ficate attached. but farmers shipping dress
ed pork or beef from the river wharves
Unto Washington must also sign certificate
showing that the meat is killed by them,
man food. and that they are exempt from
inspection. before the transportation COM
pany can bring it into the city.
In order to meet the changed conditions
the local transportation companies are hav-
ing blank certificates printed. from form
furnished by the Agricultural Department
and will place them on the wharves where
the shippers can get them to fill out when
desiring to make shipment Of home killed
pork or beef to this city. These incoming
certificates must be signed in duplicate. and
under the law the transportation company
must send one copy Of the certificate to
the Agricultural Department so that track
can be kept Of all meats coming into the
city. The transportation companies are
arranging to comply with the new regu-
lations. and after today no shipment Of
meat unaccompanied by the proper certifi-
cate will be accepted for transportation