Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-01

The inspection OF meat was conducted al
SIC establishments located I'm go cities and
towns, an increase OF eighty-nine establish
ments and twenty-nlne cities and towns.
There were inspected at and after slaugh.
ter IS. 81, 367 animals, Of which 1895, SU were
cattle, 2.O46,n 3 calves, IS, ga, 22t hogs. 10.SO2,-
903 sheep and GO, 193 goats. OF these 1n, 0s5
carcasses and S99,62s parts OF carcasses
were condemned. Tuberculosis seems to
have been the principal cause of the con-
demnation. In addition there were con-
demned for sanitary reasons on reinspec-
ton more than 100000 pounds Of meat
products.
Meat Inspection.
Owing to better observation Of the law
governing transportation Of live stock in
cars, only 2OS cases OF violation were re-
ported during the year, or less than one
third the number in the year previous. Only
5 per cent of the cases resulted adversely
to the government. Fines Of s73, 400 were
collected and costs Of S115s9. Through the
vigorous work of its law officer the de-.
partment is exercising a powerful influence
for the observation or the several laws in
the enforcement of which 1t is specially
Interested.
-E3 - 80 AANR = = ia
twenty different states were mapped during
the year, at a cost of about $4,000 in
Guiding field and office expenses, the area
mapped aggregating 1OO,61s square miles.
Since the beginning of the year 1899, 257, 500
square miles have been surveyed and map
ped. With reference to soil fertility the
report states that so far as can be observed
at the present time cases of failure on the
farm a = 1tta 20 Ip1f,,i5,,oI raClo,4 -. r,t-
judgment, not fundamental to the soil IT.
self. With regard to abandoned farms in
the eastern states, It is stated that the idea
that the soils have become exhausted is a
mistaken one and the suggestion is made
that an increasing production can be
brought back through a change in farm
management and the infusion Of new and
active blood in rural communities.
Pure Food and Drugs.
The department made a great forward
movement in enforcing the food and drugs
act. 1t now has branch Laboratories for
the examination OF samples at twenty-one
of the leading commercial %centers, about
one-half of these being seaport cities. The
department solicitor has prepared and re-
ported to the attorney general for prose-
cution 494 cases, and of those tried but
w. ~ 49, SOANA aA0 AAltE Ok
%gregating over 5000 were secured In
eighty-five cases; and in ninety-eight cases
DEGREES of condemnation and forfeiture
were issued covering many tons Of food
and drugs. AS a result of these opera
lions, misbranded and adulterated prod
ucts are rapidly disappearing from inter
state The use of p~reservatives
which may be injurious to health is one
Of the largest and most perplexing ques-
tions arising under the food and drugs
act. So far only one experiment has been
completed, that with sodium benzoate. The
decision which has been published de-
clares this pr%eservative to be noninjurious,
and 1t may be used without violation Of
law, provided the percentage used appears
on the labels attached to the packages,
Rise of "PrescriDtiOn scheme,"
Since the passage of the food and drugs
act the prescription scheme has arisen.
Under this plan of selling proprietary
medicines, a prescription is sent through
the mails. The prescription viii contain
several well known medicinal agents, but
also a coined name of some unknown
product. TO fill the prescription the re-
clpient must purchase the agent sold under
the coined name. Analyses OF these prod
ucts have shown that they usually consist
Of the cheapest and commonest of in
gradients, though advertised as panaceas
for various diseases. Such remedies are
plainly fraudulent, since they have no
curative properties for the diseases for
which they are recommended.
Our National Forests.
The forest service manages q great
producing property; all tod the proclaimed
boundaries Of the national forests now in
clude nearly 1875, 100000 acres OF land. OF
the three principal resources Of the for
ests, water. forage and timber, the timber
is for the time being the least developed.
Vigilant protection is now given the for
ests and this will mean the steady i'm
provement Of water conditions in the west.
Not only the users of water throughout
the west, but all who in turn derive a
benefit from the prosperity Of these users
share in the distribution of profits.
The forage yield of the forests which suf-
ficed for nearly 7,7OO,OOO sheep, 100000 cat
tie, $4,000 horse and $50, 900 cows. was utn-
lied by more than 1900 individuals and
concerns, besides furnishing free grazing
for milch COWS and work horses Of settlers,
prospeotors and travellers. The timber cut
of last year was small because OF general
business conditions. In making sales OF
national forest timber not revenue but
the best interests Of the consumer furnish
the guiding principles. The administrator
and protection of the national forests cost
last year less than $s,OOO.OO0. with an ad-
ditiona, $500 900 spent on improvements The
cost Of national forest administration and
protection was less than 2 cents per acre
for all purposes, including improvements.
Work of Weather Bureau.
An Instance OF the practical value of the
service of the weather bureau is found
in it's advance warnings Of storms, like
the Key West hurricane Of October II,
1909. From the first definite location Of
the storm over the south central Carib-
bean sea on October 6 until it proceeded
to the southern extremity OF Florida and
passed into the ocean on the nth and 18th
OF October, the bureau gave out daily ad-
vices regarding its intensity and direction
in every stage of it's progress, with the
result that protective measures follow
ing the receipt Of the warnings reduced
the loss Of both life and property to a
minimum.
Two new river districts were established.
one at Bismarck, N. D., and the other
at Wichita, Kan, for the purpose Of fore
casting flood stages.