Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-28
FOR MEAT INSPECTION
Packers Worked Up Over the
Beveridge Amendment.
WANT GOVERNMENT TO PAY
The Neill-Reynolds Report on Condi-
tions Discovered.
NOT TO BE MADE PUBLIC
Unless Attempt is Made to Defeat the
Amendment as It Stands on
the Agricultural Bill.
NOT TO BE MADE PUBLIC

President Roosevelt will not yield to de-
mands for publication of the NeilI- Rey-
nolds information on conditions In the
Chicago packing houses unless the pack
Ing interests attempt to defeat the amend
ment as 1t stands on the agricultural bill.
II they do make attempts In this direc-
ton. thereby trying to defeat what the
President considers just and decent law.
he will make The report, which has not
been prepared in detail pablic and let the
packing interests suffer the consequences.
He realizes that publication would be
anything but wise as 1t would produce
suffering for many legitimate interests
and for thousands of people. many of
them connected only Indirectly with the
packing industry.
1t is not conceivable at the White House
that either body OF Congress will ask for
| the report, that would make it public 1t
is not regarded as in any sense party
question. Therefore the democrats are no
more likely to ask for the facts than the
republicans
| The Presidents emphatic warning to the
packing interests that they must keep
| hands off in the present situation was de-
cided upon at q conference this morning, at
! which those with the President were SEN
| ator Carter of Montana and C p. Neiil.
commissioner of labor. Mr.. Neill is part
author OF of the statements in the
| hands of the President. he having made a
!
withhold the report from the public be-
cause of any love for the packers or be-
! cause it would seriously hurt their bus-
ness. He takes the position that the re-
port would disclose evils that would cause
a revolution Of public sentiment, which
would cause injury in many directions.
Senator Carter's Statement.
After the conference Senator Carter ex-
planned the Presidents attitude. He said:
THE meat inspection amendment placed
on the agricultural bill has met with the
| opposition of the packers and their friends,
| who seem to be bending every effort to de-
! feat it. The President says that IL the
| amendment is enacted into law he viii be
| content to remedy the evils complained or
through the law.
'If, however. the amendment is defeated
he will feel constrained in the discharge of
his official duty to the public TO send to
Congress the reports in his possession re-
lating to the abuses existing in the pack
ing houses. He feels that it is better to
refrain from making the reports public.
not through any regard for the beef pack
ers particularly. but because an offic!al
statement of the facts would injure the
stockraisers of the country, thus making
them innocent victims of line OF abuses
for which they were not primarily in any
sense responsible.
''rhe only answer that can be made to
the consumers of our meats at nome ana
through which an efficient and sufficient IN
spection shall be made"
Senator Carter said that the packers have
asked for more time in which to CONSIDER
the amendment.
"One of the principal questions which
they are considering" he said. is whether
they or the government shall pay for the
Inspection service. 1t seems a foregone
conclusion that they will decide that Uncle
Sam should pay for the work.
Beveridge is the Author.
Senator Beveridge. who is the author of
the meat inspection amendment, was IN con-
ference with the President during the day.
The Indiana senator is being robbed of a
good deal of credit for this popular amend
ment The administration is being given
the credit. Even before the President sent
Commissioner Neill to Chicago to inspect
conditions in the packing yards Senator
Beveridge had begun to look into the whole
question, going over German and other for
eign laws. The amendment that was
adopted to the agricultural bill was pre-
pared by Senator Beveridge without con-
sultation with the administration, although
the President gave hearty backing TO it
after II had been shaped. The amendment
was not passed upon by Attorney General
Moody, who did not see it or know of it
until after Il was before the committee of
the Senate.
Senator Beveridge In sreaking about the
efforts of the packers to escape the pay
ment of the salaries of the Inspectors, said:
1T is far more practicable for tfiem to pay
ii than for an appropriation to be made, as
there is a constant tendency to cut down
approximation and shorten a Torce, fire.
quently to the detriment of the business of
the public If ii is true that the packers
will make the public pay these salaries
In the end. all right. The public would
have to pay them anyhow II Congress ap-
propriated the necessary money.
Writing Out the Report.
There was good deal of undercurrent
in the fight over the Beveridge amendment
today The President. has been said,
has withheld the reports of conditions in
the Chicago packing houses because he did
not think the publication would do any
good, but he is having the Information put
in written FORM SO that it will be at the
disposal of any members of the House or
Senate who want to argue the question at
the White House. The report of the De-
partment of Agriculture which sent COM
mission to Chicago, has neen in the hands
Of the President for weeks and the special
report of his own investigators. Messrs.
Neill and Reynolds. has already been made
orally and probably will be ready la manu-
script at the White House within forty
eight hours.
The Agricultural Department appropria-
ton bill carrying the provision for inspec-
ton is now In the hands OF the House ana
will be In conference today or tomorrow.
The chairman OF the agricultural commits
tee of the House. Mr. Wordsworth. had q
conference with Commissioner Neiil and
Mr. Reynolds today and II Is pretty we'll
assured that he Will be In possession or In
formation when the conferees meet that
will prevent any serious attempt on the
part OF the packing interests to block the
legislation.