The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-25
U. S. REGULATIONS
Interstate Meat Shipments by Far
mers and others.

Interstate Meat Shipments by Far
mers and Others.
To the Editor.-Seyeral times. re-
Gently, this Office has been consulted as
TO the lawful way to carry meat, or
meat-foOd products" across state lines,
like impOrtatiOns from White Greek or
Hoosick. n. Y. TO Bennington and into
Williamstown. Mass. from POwnal
Vermont. and the nature and number
OF these inquiries leads TO the con-
lecture that there is either a wide
spread igaCrance of the requirements
under the United States pure food law,
or wilful violation Of many OF the
regulations.
Writing to the United States De
p2rtment OF Agriculture for informa-
tion, under the date OF January 4. 1909
a letter was received from the Bureau
of Animal Industry thereof, which
gives the regulations essential TO be
observed. Il Is important, first, to OBJ
serve that throughout the regulations,
the words used are. NO person, firm,
or corporation shall receive for trans.
poltation from one state or territory
or the District OF Columbia to another
state or territory or the District of
Columbia any carcass, part of carcass,
or meatfood product OF cattle, sheep.
swine or goats unless and until a GER
titicate is made aud furnished in one
of the forms prescribed in sections IL.
l., Is, and IA of this regulation, show
ing that such meat or meat-food prod
uct has been either inspected and
passed or exempted from inspection
according to act OF Congress OF June
30. 1906" etc
Referring to tho aforesaid letter,
should any one wish to secure lex.
emption,' the Department will for.
ward blank application with instruc-
tions how to fill out and return when
it will be determined what is neces-
sary in each case" Continuing the
Chief of Bureau OF Animal Industry
writes
You are further advised that meat
and meat-food products that have been
U. S. inspected and passed and are
sound, healthful, wholesome, and At
for human food may be shipped In in.
terstate trade by anybody under REG.
ulation %, Section IL, b, A. |. Order
No. $50, provided they have not been
processed since leaving an official es-
adjustment, and at the time OF ship
ment bear the marks of Federal in
spectiOn.'
The reference Is to the form Of GER
tiflcate TO be used and the manner OF
shipment. 1t relates only to inspect
ed meats and meat-products.
The next specification relates to far
mers who kill their own stock, and the
aforesaid letter says:
Meat and meat-food products from
the carcasses OF animals slaughtered
by farmers on the farm may be ship.
ped in interstate trade by anybody
without authority from this Bureau,
provided they (the shpments) are &C
companied by shipping certificates, in
duplicate, in the form required by Reg
ulation 25 Section IA, Order No. 150,
and are sound, healthy, wholesome,
and fit for human food"
The reference in this case (sec. I'd
is to the form OF certificate in dupli.
cate one to accompany the package,
and the other TO be forwarded immed-
lately to the Chief OF the Bureau OF
Animal Industry, Washington, d. c."
a stipulation is required as TO the
identity of the food-products, "As long
as the same may be identified as of
animals slaughtered by any farmer OH
a farm" and that they contain no
preservative or coloring matter or
other substance prohibited by the reg
ulations OF the Secretary OF Agricul-
ture governing meat inspection" This
shows how particular the government
is, and so is the State of Vermont un.
der its pure food law OF 1906. How
many comply with these statutes?
Marketmen and peddlers are the
third class noted. The letter afore-
said further says:
Regarding the meat and meat-food
products OF retail dealers or retail
butchers, you are advised that such
products cannot be shipped interstate
without the shipper is in possession
of certificate of exemption granted
by this Bureau, when such products
can be properly shipped under Regu-
lation 20, Section 10, Order No. 1870"
The Section 49," referred to re-
quires that the duplicate certificates
bear the Department number OF the |
exemption issued by the Secretary OF |
Agriculture, and differs from No. II,
IN that these meat-products are de- |
,lared as not inspected which throws
he guaranty Of purity and wholesome
less upon the shipper.
The writer has thus been particular
because the public has the right to be
guarded against imposition in its pur-
'hase OF meat and meat-food products,
while the dealer and shipper is under /
leavy penalties for disobedience. All
through the statute occurs the words:
That no person, firm, or corporation,
II officer agent, or employee thereof"
tic, showing that when the farmer or
,eddler crosses state lines to find his
market he becomes engaged in inter
tate traffic.