Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-01-03
DANGER
FOR MEAT
EATERS
SERVICE
DECLARED INADEQUATE
Fully Half of Animal Products
Passes Into Hands of Con-
sumers Without Supervision
of Any Kind, is Declared.
ny Morning journal specla, Lenscd wIrel


Washington Jan 2.~-That half the
meat eaten in the United States can
4 he called uninspected and that a real
/ and serious danger TO The public exists
as Il result. is o.e of the conclusions
reached by DR.. a. p Melvin, chief OF
/ the United States bnreau OF animal
I industry, in hs annual report to the
secretary OF agriculture
! Inefficiency of the government in
spection because or It's lack OF au-
thority TO reach business done entirely
within q state, is given rs one OF the
causes, and DR. Melvin points out the
great need of suppiencnting the gov-
eminent inspection of meats With state
and municipal inspections.
one result of the federal inspection
4 Is to cause the diversion OF diseased
and suspicious looking animals TO the
uninspected establishments where they
are slaughtered for tho local market,
4 says the report.
MANY cities have an Inspection
i service, but very few have an ade-
quate force and the inspection often
consists OF meI%ly examining the meat
las offered for sale In the markets.
when it is usually impossible to de
tect disease the evidence of which may
+ have been removed with The Nisccrd
or organs says Dr Melvin.
AS a rule, sanitary conditions are
VERY bad At uninspccted slaughter
/ houses and in order to provide real
protection against diseased or un-
/ wholesome meat a competent veteri-
nary and sanitary inspection at the
I time 6f slaughter is essential
Despite the shortcomings Of the in
spection, it has many advantages and
4 is producing results which are in
creasing from year to year. DR. Mel
win shows in his report. With the
new law, a steady improvement in the
sanitation OF packing houses has been
brought about and az a result there
has been a considerable decrease in
the amount Of meat ndemned in the
inspections.
Notwithstanding the efforts 10 give
a competent Inspection the service
has been unjustly attacked, the report
asserts. The incident at East ST.
Louis is recalled ana Dr Melvin says
the charges there had their founda-
tion in anjmus and not IN act In
some cases other attacks were the re-
suit Of ignorance Of conditions or mis-
representation of facts. Thorough
investigation OF some cases of pto-
maine poisoning charged to meat,
proved that in not one of the in
stances could The truth be properly
ascribed TO hat cause. In other cases,
typhoid fever had been found in
schools whore reports Of ptomaine
poisoning were circulated.
"Such instances says Dr. Melvin,
"should Be sufficient 70 show that
credencc should not be placed in re-
ports roflecting against the meat in
spccton
In q force Of $500 people engaged
in inspecting meat. Or. Melvin de-
clares il would not be unusual if some
one were found unworthy All men
arc liable to errors IN Judgment, and
considering the immense amount of
meat inspected If it should happen
chat meat which should be condemned
were passed the amount was such an
innnitesmal part of the entire guam
tity that il did NOT affect the value
and the integrity of he service as q
whole
More han 96,00O.o00 animals were
inspected at the time Of slaughter
during the fiscal year just closed and
more than 900, 600 We're condemned
in whole or in part ON re-inspection
more than 25,000,00O pounds OF meat
and meat products We're condemned
which had become nnwholesomo since
inspection at the time Of slaughter.
The inspection service had an ap-
propriation Of S3.0o0,0u0 to do busi-
ness on during the year and spent S2,
$4,000.