The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-08
Goes on Stand in Packing
 House Investigation
CONDITIONS ARE APPALLING
Thomas Wilson Thinks It Unjust to Burden Packers With Cost of ln- spection Under Beveridge
 Amendment.

ing on the Neill-Reynolds meat inspection report today. Thomas Wilson, manager for Nelson Morris X Co. nd representing the large Chicago packing houses, con tinued his remarks on the Begeridge amendmen: providing for meat inspection. Aside from the objections he had pointed oue yesterday MT. Wilson said the only othor serious objection was the provision placing the cost of inspection on the packers.
 As tc tho cost MT Wilson said the packers had very serious objections to having this expense placed on them.
 We are HOW under an expense aggre- gatng H,ooOO0O year for condemnation of animals" he said
 Neither the raisers or producers bear any of the loss of condemned stock It all falls on the packers" asserted MT. Wilson.
 Representative Scott of Kansas suggest ed that 1t was generally understood the packers so control the meat market that they would be able to recoup themselves the cost of inspection.
 Do Not Control Market.
 ''Wt could not" replied Mir Wilson. 'The large packers kill only 50 per cent of the meat supply of the country and do not control the market"
 Representative Henry suggested that tho delinGJencie of the packers had placed tlom In their present position and in- uuired why should the packers object to paying If the government Is to pull you out of the hole"
 MT. Wilson objected to this view oe the case. It was not the fault of the packers The packers had sent men into every ham let of the world to create a market. The packers were willing to comply with any new requirements, but they were now 1 losing money in their English market, put were carrying 1t to develop trade
 But we feel this to be an unjust Lur- den and one we ought not to be called on to bear" he added.
 Quality of Goods Sold Abroad.
 Chairman Waosworth asked if any culi.. plalut had ever been made as to lle 1ual- ity of the goo ar shipped abroad.
 Well" .eplled MT. Wilson, T could not say no to that question. oeeasion- ally we have case of goods sant back but we always try to get hold of the goods that are the subject of conlplanJ.'
 That is the result of your foreign mar ket of the present agitation" asked MT. l Wadsworth
 '"rhe result Is very disastrous" replied the witness Our demand for fires I meats and manufactured products has been practically cut in two Our foreign com petitors are all making the most of 'his and are getting the benefit of agitation | and xua u ra standing thp loss
 Naturally" suggested MT. Wa1sworth, 'if your foreign demand falls om your purchases of stock will be less. "I do not see where we are L. find markets if our foreign trade Is cut off, 1 answered MT. Wilson
 "WeH' continued Mr. Wadsworth you | will not have to buy the stock l No but cattle-raisers are accustomed 1 to ship their stock to Chicago and get 1 their money for it. If this should stop, l dent see how we are to avoid terrible calamity in the west" responded MT. Wil- son.
 Under the BeVeridge amendment, MT. Wilson said 1t would be possible for the Secretary of Agriculture to put an in- spector at the elbow of every workman and charge the cost to the packers. Representative Haughon of Iowa said 1t was well known that Congress In the past had not made adequate appropriation for the inspection and he wanted to know if if would not be better for the raisers and | packers to pay, say cents a head Tor | the inspection of cattle, and cents for l the inspection of hogs.
 Better Than Go Out of Business. 'It would be better for us to divide up all we have, l suppose. rather than go out of business" replied Mir. Wilson, "ln all reasonableness and fairness we are pay ing a1 that we should be asked to pay.
 | nf Illinois gesied that the Beveridge amendment would put out of business thousands Of slaughterers doing an interstate busi- ness. and would result in creating beef trust in reality.
 pr. Melville. chief of the bureau of an- ima industry, was asked incidentally to state the number of government inspec- tors in Chicago. He answered seventy- seven veterinaries and fifty-five stock ex- aminers and ffty-hve taggers making lS7 in all. In the whole service he said there are TS3
 Solicitor McCabe of the department of agriculture brought out the fact that under the law no person could even take a beefsteak across a state line if 1t had not been inspected.
 MT. Wilson concluded with renewal of his invitation to the committee to visit Chicago and bring MT. Neil with them.
 But don't legislate through Mir. Neilfs eye or my eyes. but through your own,' he said.
 MT. Wilson made this statement in sum- ming up: "We feel 1t Is going to be a difficult matter to create a law covering the necessary sanitary regulations re- rarding the packing houses that will be constitutional. We feel that such q law would be useful as applied to the pro- ducts when they enter into interstate trade. We don't want to raise a single question We want a law enacted We want good law and a stringent one. We want the sanitary inspection, and we want 1t thorough
 'l do not want the impression to obtain that we contemplate any attack on any law that may be passed.
 Neill Goes on the Stand.
 Mir Neil was then put on the stand He said he wished first to make state ment Before this Chairman Wadsworth wish to tender the mall interest 1 have