The San Francisco call., 1906-06-13
FRESH STORM
OVER PACKERS
The Question Of Inspection
Comes Up in the
House.
Members Show Position Of
Cattle Growers Of
Country.

WASHINGTON, June IAN echo of
the Neill- Reynolds report on the pack
ing houses of Chicago was heard today
in the House when Mondell of Wyo-
ming in a speech precipitated discus
sion of the whole question of Govern
ment inspection. Mondell observed that
the House of Commons in England yes
-Jerday had under consideration the
subject of American meat products,
which. he said called attention to the
far-reaching and disastrous effect of
the present agitation, and to what he
declared to be an unfortunate miscon-
ception of the facts and of the nature
and character of criticisms made OFF,
cially or unofficially of packing house
methods. Mondeli added:
II consider 1t most unfortunate for
the great packing and cattle Industries,
for the peace of mind of our people,
for our good name abroad, that It
should have been deemed necessary, in
order TO call attention to the some
what careless handling in some pack
ins-houses of certain meat products
constituting an infinitesimal proper
ton of the entire product and to cer-
tain unsanitary conditions affecting
some workers in the meat packing in
dustries with a view of securing or
recommending an extension of Federal
inspection. to place before the country
in manner calculated to ma gnify
their contents certain reports which
bear on their faces the stamp of hy
percritical criticism, if not visionary
bias
olayden of Texas condemned the
methods used in placing the Neill- Rey-
nolds report before the public. :.
For days" he said. "the country has
been disturbed over the revelations
made by a special commission of the
filthy condition of Chicago slaughter
houses. This exposure of what do not
doubt was an almost criminal state of
indecency had to come some time, and
1 hope it will result in good. The con-
sumner is entitled TO protection. He
pays big round prices and ought to
have good, clean, wholesome food for
his money. Whether the reform could
have been effected in different way
shall not undertake to say, although
the thought will intrude itself that had
there been less beating of drums, less
haring of trumpets, less OF the yellow
journal methods, the work of reform
might have been just as effectua1 and
the sacrifice of honest wealth not SO
appalling.
Il am not speaking a. word of SYM
pathy for the packers Whatever of
offense there is has come from them
and while they may lose millions by
the agitation, they Will have millions
left, most of it sweated from the brow
of the cattle producers who finally have
to pay the shot The market is de-
pressed by the publication of the Rey-
nolds- Neill report and is to be still fur
ther depressed by forcing cattle on the
market. The ranchmen are forced to
compete with their own distress and
in too many cases ruin will be the re-
suit.
TT has been suggested that the
charge for inspection which 1t is pro-
posed to establish shall be borne by the
farmers and ranchmen in a per capita
tax to be levied on their cattle. Against
that scheme protest in the name of all
my constituents and of justice. They
were unjustly taxed a few years ago
by having value taken off their prod
ucts TO give it to the buttermakers.
Let US charge the cost of maintaining g
officers of the Government to the Gov
ernment and not to the cattle raisers.
Let US abandon hysteria and get to a
sane consideration of this question and
re- establish this great business on a
plane of prosperity"
Ames of Massachusetts followed in
defense of the. President and in favor
of the packers paying the cost of in
SnocfiNn