Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-08
Charges Regarding Inspection
of Meat Refuted.
ARE DENIED IN PAMPHLET
Department Of Agriculture Answers
in Document Form.
INQUIRY PROPOSED IN HOUSE
Allegations In Nelson Resolution for
Sift of Meat Trust Lead to
Prompt Action.

want to discover the connection be-
tween the pork and beef racker-the meat
trust as II is called-and the men we
nave put In positions of trust to enforce
the meat inspection law" declared Rep
reseptative Nelson of Wisconsin to the
House committee on expenditures in the
Department Of Agriculture today.
Mr.. Nelson urged the committee to in
vestigate the bureau OF animal industry.
DR.. Charlotte Bartlett Crane OF Kalama-
zoo. Mich. investigated the packing
houses and furnished Mr.. Nelson with the
basis for his charges against Secretary
Wilson, A. d. Melvin. chief of the bureau
of animal industry. and George p. Nc
Cabe. solicitor of the department. Repre-
sentatives OF the packing companies and
Oh the Iexas cattle interests were present
Maintains Right to Investigate.
Quoting statements of President Roose-
welt. former Secretary of Agriculture I.
Sterling Morton and others. Mr.. Nelson
contended that Congress had the right To
inquire into the way the three million
dollars appropriated for meat inspection
Is expended. and to see il the health OF
the people is being guarded. or greater
Importance. he said. was the question
whether the law is being honestly en-
forced. or IL there is colluson between
the packers and officials
Mr.. Nelson described packing house
conditions which brought about the enact
ment OF the meat inspection law in 1863.
and said the same men then in power
are In power now. He said that by
packers he meant four-fifths OF those In
that industry in the country. They are
members of the American Meat Packers
Association. he said. and this organiza-
tion is dominated by the big four, or
Chicago beef trust.
Charges Branded False.
In connection with the proposed Nelson
Investigation of the meat inspection serv-
ice. the Department Of Agriculture issuSl
today document headed House Reso-
luton 512." and credited to THE ONCE of
the Secretary
The publication. which is a pamphlet of
ten pages. makes an editorial analysis of
the Nelson resolution under which the
meat inspection service is to be investi-
gated. In speaking of the House resolu-
tion, the department bulletin says:
The resolution contains fifteen pre-
urinary statements or whereas
clauses. which are allegeH statements
necessity
for an Investigation. The statements in
these whereas clauses are, for the
most part, either absolutely false or
are mixtures Of half truths with false
hood skillfully blended, producing a
| semblance of truth and creating erro-
neous Impressions. These clauses will
be discussed in detail. prefacing that
discussion with the statement that
there Is no new charge in the resolu-
tion. The charges are all old and have
been investigated and found without
truth either by the Department of
Agriculture or by the American Public
drawn in the main from two sources
Referring to clause 1O'' Of the resolu-
ton in particular, the pamphlet quotes
the whereas" which specifies that "a
lowering OF inspection standards and
practices has been accomplished by OFF,
cially printed regulations known
as service announcements" and then
makes the statement, that 1t is impor-
tant to consider this clause carefully, be-
cause in II there Is revealed the methods
Of those who are behind this resolution.
Copies Distributed Freely.
THE first service announcement was
issued May 10. 1907" the departmental
document asserts. land from that date
until November 16 1909. only matter was
included in the announcements which was
intended exclusively for the information
of the employees of the bureau of animal
industry. November 16, 1908, a change
was made in the form of service an
nouncements. Matter intended for the
confidential information OF the inspec-
tors was eliminated and 1t was stated
that copies would be furnished to
establishments at which federal meat
inspection Is conducted and to other
persons and firms with whom the bu-
reau has such ohhcial relations as to
make 1T necessary for them to receive
information"
The pamphlet concluded it's analysis Of
this phase OF the resolution in these
words:
From that date to the present time
the policy has been unbroken to send the
service announcements to packers, stock
men. Agricultural journals. trade jour-
10 In the resolution will show how
fearfully and wonderfully these facts are
distorted. Portions Of the notice which
appeared on the announcement during
the time when II was intended only for
bureau employees are quoted in connection
with portions OF the notice which was
used after the announcements were dis
tributed generally to any one in interest.
Is sought to be created that the depart
ment allowed the packers 70 have access
to the confidential information sent to
the inspectors and denied it to every
one else.
This is absolutely untrue. Copies OF
the announcements were given to the
press and to other persons In interest at
the same time they were furnished to
the packers. It must be that Mr.. Nelson
Of Wisconsin. who introduced this reso-
luton, has been grievousiy imposed upon.
for II is to be presumed that he would
never have consented knowingly to such
a grave perversion OF the truth and such
an attempted imposition upon the House,
Of which he 10 q member"
Former Charges Disproved.
The department pamphlet then goes on
to state that the material for the attack
on the meat inspection service is drawn
from two sources. the frst the researches
Of Mrs. Caroline Bartlett Crane. and the
second q book ON American meat publish
ed by Or. Albert Lefhngweli OF New
York, but printed In England and circu-
lated almost exclusively there. This
book the Department OF Agriculture
saws. is an appeal to the English work.
ing man not to eat American meat.
In connection with Mrs. Crane. the bull
letin states:
''Mrs Crane presented similar charges
TO the American Public Health Associa-
ton at the Richmond meeting of that
as ssociation In October. 1909. She appeared
before the executive committee Of that