New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-08
FALSE, DECLARES WILSON
Secretary FIatIy Denies Meat
inspection Charges.
STOUTLY DEFENDS SERVICE
Declares Regulations Here Are
Drastic and Enforced in
Letter and Spirit.
From The Tribune Bureau

Washington. May Secretary Wilson OF
the Department OF Agriculture declared
erphatically tonight that the meat IN
spectlon law had been enforced to the let
ter and that the integrity Of the meat In
spection service was undoubted. Relative
to the House resolution for an investiga-
ton. he said:
The alleged statements OF fact in the
resolution which are asserted as showing
the necessity for an investigation OF the
meat service inspection are for the most
part either unqualifedly false, or are
mixture OF half truths with falsehoods SO
as to produce a semblance OF truth ana
plainly intended TO create erroneous I'M
pressions. -
The charges in the resolution, in the
main, are a reiteratlon OF charges pre-
scented by Mrs. Caroline Bartlett Crane 10
the American Public Health Association IN
Richmond in October. 1909. and from a
book published by DR.. Albert LefNng"eiI: OF
tie State of New York In lsiQ: NILS.
Crane appeared before the executive com.
mittce OF that organization and submitted
documents. etc. but the committee found
| that neither the documents nor her state
ments. In the judgment of the committee,
book. which deals entirely with the subject
| Of American meat, was published In Eng
| land and apparently was not even COPY
| righted In the United States. The book
| abounds In distorted quotations from ohi-
| cial publications OF the Department of
Agriculture and in cowardly attacks upon
| such distinguished scientists as lr. william
| r. WEIGH OF Johns Hopkins University
| formerly president of the American Med
| ical Association.
| II we had accepted the views of faddists
, instead OF the opinions OF eminent scient,
/ lists the department would have condemned
| I'm the last six years the carCasseS or SIX
million animals which were sound, whole
some and III for food
Regarding the clause Of the resolution
which alleges that the meat inspection law
has been nulllhed by publishing regulations
contrary TO tho public health and in the
interests of meat packers. Secretary Will
son said:
This charge is absolutely false, and the
Department of Agriculture will have no
! difficulty in establishing TO the fun sats-
| faction Of any unbiased and imparuai III
vestigating body that the department. mas
! successfully endeavored TO enforce the mea!
| inspection law according 10 its spirit anu
| letter Not only do the regulations nave
the approval Of tho departments amman
pathologist DIR. John r. Mohler, VINO RAMS
! high among scientists in the United states
and abroad, but they are in accord WIN
! the published opinions of the leadlnS mea'
! Inspection authorities of the world. 49,,
| The meat inspection regulations IN tnis
| country are more drastic than those oil
| Germany, which is recognized as the leauPt
| I'm scientific meat inspection. Every enorI
| has been made to enforce the law IN tne
| interests OF the public health. and the IN
| terests of the meat packers nave never oeei'
| considered whenever there has been IN,
Yolyed the question of public health ana OF
| the rigid enforcement Of the law.
| THE meat inspection service OF the United
| States il conceded to be the best Inspection
! service I'm the world. We Will prove THIS
| IN the satisfaction OF Congress II the de-
psrtment is given an opportunity 70 develop
| the facts.
Representative Nelson. who recently IN
| troduced a resolution asking for an inspec-
ton of the meat inspection service, said
Tonight his charges would be taken up to-
morrow by the House Committee on tx
penditures In the Department of Agricuit-
ure Mrs. Crane will be the first witness
| Mr. Nelson issued a statement tonight IN
which he said he was "astonished tha'
the department had issued circular re-
| parding Mrs. Cranes charges before
single witness is heard or without a scin-
tilla of knowledge regarding the character
Of testimony I shall produce
The investigation VIII De unuer.ake,I
| nv tho Moss committee OF the House, when
| was active In the Investigation Oh tne me
| Cabe- Wiley and the Everglades controver
! sies but which has been out oil the puphc
| eve for several weeks.