The Minneapolis journal., 1906-06-12
COERCITE TACTICS
LAID TO PACKERS
Protests to South Dakota Con-
gressmen Savor of Beef Trust
Interference.
PRODUCERS DECEIVED
REGARDING NEW LAW
Davis Of Minnesota in Iiimelight,
Fighting for a Strong
i Measure. a
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, June 12.-Representa-
tives Martin and Burke Of South Da-
kota have received a number of tele-
grams from cattlemen urging speedy ac-
tion on some measure, but all winding
up with declaration that the present
inspection system is sufficient.
Judging from the tone of the tele.
! grams, the inference was drawn that
they were inspired by the. packers, who
have been trying to frighten the pro-
ducers into the belief that the enact
ment of the proposed legislation would
hurt their business. -
/ The house committee on agriculture
! spent all Of yesterday, considering in
executive session the meat inspection
| question. 1t hardly made a good start
in the work of drafting bill, and is
continuing that work today. 1t may
run over until tomorrow or the next
! day, and even longer.
Representative Davis of Minnesota is
! the time that is necessary for the draft
! ing of q proper bill. Tie senate acted
without any deliberation and this
throws the work of careful inquiry upon
the house. Mr.. Davis does not agree
with Chairman Wadsworth Of the COM
mittee that the bill ought to be drafted
in a few hours, and it was partly thru
down to careful deliberation in the
york Of preparing it's substitute for the
Beveridge amendment. i.
The committee has before it three
separate bills. One is the Beveridge
bill, which is not to be accepted, altho
a determined fight is being made for
the retention Of its vital principles. It's
oh IN- &c
tirely too eopious, according to com
xnittee opinion. S=ee@s-ss
+ Wilson Drafted Bill. Sz
Another bill is called the Wadsworth
bill, but was drawn by Mr.. Wilson, rep
resenting the Chicago packers. It out
lines accurately what the, packers arc
willing to accept. This also is to be
The third bill was drawn by Judge
Cowan of Texas, representing the cat
by far the best of the three, accord
'jng to several members of the commit
tee, and thus far the committee has
drawn from it quite literally. ~ +:
The bill that will ultimately be re-
ported will be committee bill, and it
will contain portions of the first and
last bills just named. >-s.
The Cowan bill is drawn in more lib.
eral terms than the Wadsworth bill and
inspects, altho it is less drastic than the
Bever1dge bill. Some surprise has been
expressed that Cowan should have sub
mitted so liberal proposition. The
committee in incining to accept a
goodly portion of it, is reeeding from
The extreme position taken by Chair.
man Wadsworth.
10 Consult Poison Expert.
The committee has not settled the
question Of date labels on canned
meats, altho suggestion has beer
made that received good deal Of sup
port. It was that the committee, be
fore deciding this question, should in
vite in DR.. Wiley, government chemist
and any other expert witnesses it cal
find, to furnish information as to whist
the condition of canned meat Is after il
is two or three years old.
Brooks and Scott, the committee quar-
tet which favors the beef trust side Of
the case, are standing out for no labels
The rest Of the committee is undecided
some inclining in one direction ant
some in the other, but both sides want
ing to do the right thing.
Dr.#Wiley s testimony will help then
In making up their minds. If he say!
that meat OF the age named suffers de
terioration these uncommitted member.
Of the committee will vote for tn.
labels showing the date of packing.
The committee has reached no con
clusion as to who should pay the cos
of inspection, but 1t looks as if ma
1ority will recommend that the govern
ment pay the larger part Of it, tn
packers to make up the deficiency a
The end of each year, thus insuring ade
quate inspection thruout the year.
It is believed that the president viii
accept such provision. He is not op
posed to government-paid inspection
per Sc, but his opposition is based upol
the idea that congress would be likel,
TO appropriate insufficiently for inspec
tion purposes. If the deficit each yea
is to be made up by charges against th
packers, his point, it is said, will b
met.
No decision has been reached as t
what its contents are, altho this subjec
was freely discussed. The words. 1.Un
wholesome, unsound and unfit for hu
man food, contained in the Beveridg
bill, are to be retained by the hous
committee.
When the committee adjourned yes
terday evening it was in the midst of (
discussion OF the sanitary section of th
Beveridge bill. This is the sectio
which it is claimed is unconstitutional
rs it provides that: the federal govern
ment shall perform the police power
Of the state.
The committee seems agreed tha
something shall go into its bill on tn
sanitary point, and several members o
the committee have proposed that tn
bill provide that when goods are of
fered for shipment in interstate com
merce they must carry label statin
that they were prepared under prope
sanitary conditions, approved by th
secretary of agriculture. The Bevel
idge bill provides that these regulation
should be made by the secretary Th
proposition Just referred to met with
good deal of approval, but no test vot