The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-18
cannot PROPERLY
PROTECT PUBLIC
Conditions Are Such That Cen
eral Health is Not safeguarded
Against the Small Packer.
STATES NOT COOPERATING
Through Defective Legislation
or None at All--"Undesir=
able Small Packer Exists.
az w.1TEn EDWARD HAR,ls.


WASHINGTON, August - hs.ans he
oonti,,iie TO arise which disclose tI'a
inadeauacy of Federal laws ait az, ~ =
Interstate commerce because " c,,%ss
of proper cooperation by tLe ita,.e
The state Legislatures. as ruie, no :, y :,
either enacted defective legls,Ht,oh 10
entirely neglected or ovcriookeu t ~
subject involved, and TINS iach " - 90
telligent cooperation mas 'elhpa 10 80, -,
The Execution OF the Federal statutes W
M small extent. While this was not 20
be unlocked for. under the cirSu.. l,,
stances of trying out new feaa ,la
statute which was generally dei ,,,,n. -,
1t has wrought SO many lneu uaiti. 10
trade and so injured competition ~
the. destrinent OF the public, that ,ne
Federal authorities are ready 70 ucs
FOR reinforeements from the STATES.
This. 1t is reported. is especiaiiS wv
Of the neat-packlne lmu 1,E;,, sm,l;
The existence of conditions IN si.ia, ,,
meat packing houses, bordering upon
the same degree of proNocatlon loi-
lowed by the popular Indignation
year ago against the packers Was
more than limited at to-day by Actni'
secretary of Agriculture W. NJ. HAS
In the course of an earnest talk.
The public has no adequate protec-
tion against the small packer who Is
doing a purely State business; saii
which mean inspection OF piail's ~.
subject to Federal inspection. rs ops''
n the same objections urged in the up
rising of a year ago.
"The Legislatures OF the various
States must be brought to realize the
situation and pass laws which will give
adeouate protection to the pupllc. 1heS
must pass laws for local Inspection as
stringent as the Federal laws, and MOD
BED as far ais possible upon those laws
The situation In some Oh me sta' ss rs
uuch that some small packers nave
been forced to abandon all their M
{erstate business and resort wholly 70
IN intrastate business. in order to meet
the competition of local rivals me
Arm which does interstate business,
trade, must submit to the fullest Fed
eral inspection of cattle, all products
and sanitary conditions.
1.-THE firm doing purely local busl-
ness. and which does not sell across
the lines OF its own State. faces only
the local inspection. In many In
stances this is SO poor that 1t fails
entirely to protect against the use of
diseased cattle and the sale of un-
wholesome meat products. The firm
operating under local inspection can,
therefore undersell the other firm to
n marked degree. and this department
has seen number of instances of
small packers giving up their inter-
state business in order to escape Fed
eral inspection, and thus be able to
escape local competition
Drastic measures are demanded by
the situation, according to Mr.. Hays.
Federal inspection is proving all that
was expected of 1t. and American meat
exports have climbed In volume since
the prejudice they suffered a year or
two ago The practical exemption of
local plants selling within the State
only from adequate inspection, it is
claimed Is a source of great danger
to many communities. Many States
have failed to keep pace with the de-
velopment Of the meat-packing IN
dustry.
The department hopes to be able,
through various channels of publicity,
and recommendation. to obtain the
passage of laws which will solve the
problem to the satisfaction of the pub
&