The Washington times., 1908-05-26
INSPECTORS BOOST
PAYROLL OF NATION
Meat and Pure Food Laws
p Effective, But Costly to
Government.

A fine illustration OF the fashion ir
which the increasing activities and
multiplying functions or the Fedora
Government lengthen Uncle Sans pay
ron IS afforded by the workings OF The
meat inspection law.
Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson has
gone 10 Chicago 10 attend a meeting OF
the chief inspectors Of the West. About
40 Of them are gathered for the ses-
sion, when methods, details and the
general workings OF the law and the
system OF inspection. labelling. etc, con-
stitute tho subject of discussion. They
come from every State in the Union
and represent the most remarkable eX-
tension O Federal activities that has
taken eTect. N recent years.
Dire predictions OF disaster TO the ma
tons provision trade were made when
Il was proposed to establish complete
supervision OF the interstate traffic In
meats. It was denounced as an invas-
ion of the Constitution, an interpOla-
ton of something into that venerable
document that would surely cause the
fathers Of the republic 20 turn IN their
graves. II was despousmy anarchy.
outrage. But Congress went, ahead and
passed il.
Plan to Enforce Law.
The Department Of Agriculture quiet
~ set about devising a system for en-
forcing the law. Inspectors were ap-
pointed. and put at work. The system
required a little modification from Time
10 time as experience showed faults.
But broadly speaking. the National
Government assumed complete super
rff Frr p
out ever a jar TO fundamental business
conditions.
Great attention has been devoted TO
the sanitary conditions Of packing es-
adjustments. and or their employees. II
IS said by the people who have been in
close touch with the operations Of the
new law, that the achievements along
this line have been almost unbelievS-
able. Tie packing house managers and
owners, once assured that the law was
going TO stay, and 70 be enforced up
10 the handle, decided 20 cooperate IN
making it as successful and as little
OHcrous as possible. occasionally an
establishment had its products eEcluo-
ed from interstate trade for failure 10
comply with regulations, but those
cases were rare. and commonly arose
from misundeTs-an diugs. IN every case
compliance was Induced very soon after
the exclusion was undertaken
Revolution IN Business.
Today the packing houses are de-
clared to present a picture that is lit
tie less than revolution from former
conditions The meat trade both for
eIgu and domestic has thTived where il
was expected-by the legislatiOns OPP
position-to drop and die. 1t has never
ir the couutrys history been so i'm
pCrtant en- element in the country :
commercial life. as in the last year, be-
cause OF the immense amounts OF for
Cign gold that il brought TO these shores
when The panic of last fall made gold
necessary The foreigners could get
along without q good many things from
America. but meats and cotton they
could nor cut OF their lists Meats and
cotton ana cereals brought the gold
that saved the situation, and are still
bringing 1t.
The meat inspection IS Only one of the
new functions which have added inn
meusely 10 the national payroll. The
pure food law has placed another large
number of employees on the lists and
this is growing fast. The number is
not vet nearly so large, as of those enl-
pI0yed IN the meat Inspection bureau,
but the time Is likely TO come when il
viii be quite as large.