Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-03
Half the Meat Eaten Re-
Ceives No Attention.
Government inspectors Not
Given Sufficient Authority.
This Inspection Should Be Supple.
ment With State and City action.

Washington, Jan. THAT half the
meat eaten in the United States can be
called uninspectcd and that a real and
serious danger to the public exists as
II result. is one of the conclusions
reached by DR.. \ -, Melvin, Chief of
the United States Bureau of Animal
Industry. in his annual report to the
Secretary of Agriculture.
Inefhciency of the government in
spection because of it's lack of author-
ity to reach business don" entirely
within state. is given as one of the
causes. and DR.. Melvin points out the
great need of experimenting the gov
eminent insp lection of meats with state
and municipal inspections.
One result of the federal inspection
is to cause the diversion of diseased
and suspicious looking animals to the
uninsperted establishments where they
are slaughtered for the local market,
says the report.
Many cities have an inspection ser
vice but very few have an adequate
force, and the inspection often consists
of merely examining the meat as offer
ed for sale in the markets when it is us
ually Impossible to detect disease the
evidence Of which may have been re-
moved with the viscora or organs,
says Dr. Melvin.
LAS rule. sanitary conditions are
very bad At uninspccted slaughter
holses and in order t" provide real
protection against diseased or UNI
wholesome meat competent Veterl>
nary and sanitary inspection at the
time of slaughter is essential"
Despite the shortcomings of the in
spcCtion. it has many advantages and
il producing results whicn are increas-
ing from year to year. DR.. Melvin
shows in his report. With the new
law, a steady Improvement in the sam
itation of packing houses has been
brought about. and as a result there
has been Il considerable decrease in the
amount of meat condemned in the in
spections
Notwithstanding the efforts to give
competent inspection, the service has
been rnlustly attacked, the report as.
serts. The incident at East st. Louis
is recalled and Or. Melvin says the
charges there had their Foundation in
animus and not in fact. In some cases
other attacks were the result of igno-
rance of conditions or misrepresenta-
ton of facts. Thorough investigation
of some cases Of ptomainc poiSonin.
charged to meat, proved that in not
one of the instances could the trouble
he properly 2scribed to that cause. II
other cases. typhoid fever had been
found in schools where reports of pto.
maine poisoning We're circulated.
such instances" says Dr. Melvin.
"should be sufficient to show that cree
dence should not be placed in reports
! rejecting against the meat INSPECTION"
In force of 800 people engaged in
inspecting meat. DR. Melvin declares, IL
would not be unusual If some one We're
found unworthy. All men are liable to
errors in Judgment. and consideratns
the immense amount OF meat inspect
ed. If it should happen that meat
which should lie condemned wer.
passed, the amount was such an infin-
itesiinal paft of the entire quantity
that itfdd not affect the value and the
integrity; of che service as whole.
Mope thansSs. 00o, 900 animals were in
spected ut the time of slaughter dur
ing the fiscal year Just closed and more
than 900 000 were condemned in whole
or in part. On re-inSpection more than
25.0o0,oo0 bounds OF meat and meat
products We're condemned which had
become unwholesome since inspection
at the time of slaughter.
The inspection service had an APP
preparation OF SS,oOo,oOn to dc business
on during the year and spent $2,SS4,-
600.
o.