Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-05-31

cattle condemned for tuberculosis?
Ought not we at least to be able to
tell the "tubercular blend" meat. as
it has been called, from the meat of
clean. young and healthy cattle, when
we go to the market for piece of
steak? What are we buying anyway?
The Brandon Union said in reply:
In another column we publish the
questions of the Randolph Herald and
| News to Cattle Commissioner Davis
in regard to the sale for food purpos-
es of diseased and condemned cattle,
and the answers to those questions
given by Inspector Brock. The cat
! tie commissioner excused himself
from answering these questions be-
cause, to quote the words of the in
spector. "of the very unfair state
rents made by certain papers, nota.
bly, the Brandon Union,- he probably
felt that further newspaper discus
sion was undesirable.
The Brandon Union has never will
fully or knowingly made an unfair
statement in regard to these trans
actions, unless to give the facts
3
them is being unfair. However from
the standpoint of the Inspector, and
perhaps from that of everyone who
was instrumental in getting this bill
through the legislature, we can
readily understand how further news
paper discussion might be undesir-
able. and SO far as the Union is con-
cerned it will drop the whole matter
when we can ascertain and give pub
licity to the pertinent facts, and not
until then. The pertinent facts are
not all contained in this list of ques-
tions but there are enough here to
give the people something to think
about in their leisure moments.
Briefly, the inspector admits that
the flesh from these tubercular nfect-
ed carcasses are in our markets and
that the purchaser cannot distinguish
it from other and what some would
consider more wholesome meat The
inspector also admits that this meat
belongs to the state Of Vermont and
that the state may mark it in any
way that it sees ft-"providing that
the marking is not of such nature as
to conflict with the assertion of the
Federal Meat Inspection service that
the meat is absolutely wholesome and
free from disease
That is to say that if the meat is
so labeled as to conform with the
pure food laws the Federal inspection
will cease.
Well, the INSPECTION would cease,
all right, because the sale of the
meat would cease. The moment the
people of Vermont became aware that
the state was charging them a
healthy price for part of diseased
carcass they would trade somewhere
else. And when the demand stopped
the need for this inspection would
stop, but We don't believe the FEEDER
| al government would remove the in
spector simply because the people
wanted their meat labeled for what it
was.
If the Federal government insists
that whiskey that is blended shall be
labeled "blend" wouldn't it allow us
to correctly label meat from a dis
} eased carcass.
Another point the Inspector has
made clear is that this "tubercular
} blend" is marketed within the state.
: That is as it should be. If the state
, Will sell this meat we should be made
to eat it. We notice thae the in
J spector says that this term is not
|
fected but We also notice that the in.
spector allows that the state sells it
at low price. He says tfsat it
brings the prevailing price for meat
of that grade but that many animals
are not in prime condition, but we car
assure him THAT when it smuggles it
self to the dinner table the housewife
; has paid the price of good beef.
: No IL is and ever has been by not
few people considered an unluek y
number and it is at least colncident
that number Is should be one of the
most vital questions that the editor OF
!, the Herald and News formulated.
The question is as follows: "Is
state official always present when the
state cattle are Inspected" The fn-
, spector's answer is: "i es | am ar
agent of the State Cattle Commits
/ sioner, serving without compensation
: as courtesy extended this state by the
U. S. Department of Agriculture, ,
, and he adds, ''the State Cattle Com
! missioner relies implicitly on me-"
This question and answer is vital
, that we have no appeal from this IN
, spector's decision as to the grade OF
! infected meat that we shall eat. H,
is not only the Inspector who decides
: that this carcass is not too badly in
! fected to be passed for food but he i
r also the state official who is always
present when the decision is made.
J There is not liable to be much con
fict of opinion here. The stat
3 official, who is always present. i
e very apt to coincide with the iudg
q ment of the Inspector as to the grad
Y of beef that gets by.
What power Inspector Brock Yields
y What responsibility rests upon thi
Il one pair of shoulders. While we
j. not doubt the ability of Dr.. Brock t
Ii grade his horrible blend as we'll pc,
haps as any mortal man could grad
j. it, we seriously doubt if the gres
% white plague will ever grade less i
Is the human family until the last il
h fected bovine has been eaten-or til
'e law compelling us to eat them he
" been repealed.