Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-06-01
Provision for Meat Inspection.

Back of the passage by the Senate Fri
day of a radical meat inspection provis-
ion as an amendment TO the agricultural
appropriation bill is an interesting story.
President Roosevelt read Upton Sinclair's
novel THE Jungle" and was so much in
terested in it that he invited the author
to the White House and asked him to tell
how he obtained his information. Mr..
Sinclair told how he went with his family
to live in PaciIngtown, Joined the So
cialist societies there and became ac-
quainted with the men who had part In
the horrible things described in The
Jungle" He described the men OF filthy
habits who handled the meats and, among
other things. told how the packing houses
were overrun with rats, which were some-
times caught and shoveled into the mop
pers to be converted into canned meats.
The President saw that he was dealing
with a man who knew what he was talk
ing about and he sent to Chicago two
government employees TO make an inves-
tigation. and their report showed that
Sinclair had not exaggerated the actual
conditions The bill for providing for
meat inspection was introduced last week
l.
t.f,rred TO the committee on agriculture
Eevoridge saw the chance Friday to put
/ the inspection bill on the agricul-
/ tural bill as an amendment when
! the latter measure was about to be
| put on its passage. The vote was called
| at once. and without debate the entire
BILL amendment and all, was passed.
The amendment provides for the in
spection at every packing house in the
United States, and post mortem eX-
animation OF all cattle, sheep, swine and
goats slaughtered for human consump-
ton. Every carcass thus prepared at any
| packing house must bear tag showing
! the date and place where it was slaugh-
| tered All carcasses or parts OF carcasseS
found to be unfit to eat are to be destroy
| ed. and the penalty for violation or evas-
ion of the law is a fine of $40, 900 and i'm
prisonment for two years. The cost of
| inspection is to be paid by the packing
| houses. All meat foods found to have
| been dyed or colored artificially in any
manner, so as to be unfit for food, are
also to be destroyed. The law applies ia
canned meats and all forms of prepared
meats, as well as to fresh meat shipped
in cold storage. After Jan. l, 1907, pack
ers who claim the right under state law
to deny the government inspectors access
to their packing houses VIII be barrec
from interstate or foreign commerce. Nc
packer or business firm can alter or fai
to use any mark stamp or tag used in the
inspection of meats by government Off
cials. The inspection is to be carried OF
in the night time as well as day time
Provision is made for the inspection o
cargoes of meat which are to b'
shipped abroad The act especial!
excepts from its provisions farmers
who slaughter on their farms, bu
carcasses that they may send from on
state to another in interstate traffic can
not enter packing houses unless inspected
President Roosevelt ordered Commits
sioners Neill and Reynolds, who made tn
investigation at Chicago. to prepare a
: once a detailed report on the evils of tn
meat packing industry, A resolution ha
been introduced in the House calling 70
the report. The packers have brough
, great pressure to bear on House member
to defeat the aims of the measure b.
amendments, but 1t is believed that 1t
important features will be retained.