The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-02-28
TOOTH NEEDED !.
I IN MEAT LAW
Ordinance Should Be Able to Bite
This Who Are Not Susceptible
to Public Opinion
REMOVAL OF GLASS CASES
WANTED BY SOME DEALERS
Also Removal of Woman In
spector and Substitution of a
Man Which Prof. Worthington
Calls a Backward Step

There is food for thought on the
part of citizens of North Yakima in
statement made to The Herald by
Prof. William Worthington, who has
given considerable attention and study
to the question of pure food supply
and who was active in the regulations
now in effect In this city governing
the meat food of the community.
Hearing that there was some move
ment on foot to have the regulations
changed so that they will be easier
for some of the meat statesmen, Prof.
Worthington was asked about the
conditions. He frankly said that some
of the best friends of the law are to
be found among the people engaged
in supplying meat to the city But
he also said that some of the strong
est opponents were to be found there
also. Discussing the general situa-
ton he said:
Ordinance Has Done Good
A wise teacher of the principles of
public hygiene, VIM. H. Allen of the
bureau of municipal research of New
York, has said: There is many a slip
betwixt the making of law and its
enforcement" Experienced political
reformers are slowly coming to see
that legislation that does not provide
the machinery for its own enforce
ment is apt to do little good and fire.
quently does harm The crusade
which has been going on for some
time in this city and which resulted
in the passage of a new food ordi-
charge of it's enfor cement, has I'M
doubtedly done a great deal of good
in many ways besides the passage of
the law. Stores and shops have been
pushed by the force of expressed pub
lie sentiment to protect by glass cases
and in other ways known to sanitary
science, the food exposed for sale
Others have been forced into line by
competition for certain classes Of
trade, some by example of the prog
ressive and others by the laudable
desire to protect the public health.
But 1t Needs Tooth
But there is still one thing lacking
apparently, and that is a tooth in the
law for those who are not amenable
to the above methods of control. Pub
lie sentiment has a powerful force
back of it for many and is all that is
necessary to hold them in line. Com
petition for high class of trade
will hold others, but the case is far
different with the man who is not
susceptible to public opinion and
whose income is dependent upon the
amount of an inferior product which
he can dispose of to a public that is
ignorant that the product is inferior
Public opinion is dull weapon of at
tack and competition will not reach
him because with an inferior product
he can undersell all competitors. 1t
is for such that the penalties of the
law are created and to such they
ought to be applied.
Where Tooth Should Bite
We have information from various
sources that there are a number of
meat shops in the city who have
been violating the specific regulations
of the com mission through their food
inspector 1t strikes one who is only
a humble member of the public whose
health is al stake in this and similar
matters, that here is where the tooth
of the law should be made to bite
that is, if the law has a tooth And
if it hasn't a tooth, then it should
be provided with a tooth in the shape
of a good round penalty. Apparent
ly some of those who have been most
persistent violators of the regulations
and who have objected most violently
to their enforcement have been sign
ers of the petition recently circulated
amongst meat men asking for the re-
peal of the part of the ordinance
which provides for the covering with
glass of meats cut and exposed for
sale and for the appointment of a
man Inspector, presumably one of
their own number, in place of the
woman now in charge. ,-..., t.
Old Method Not Desired
To my mind the step would be 4
movement backward in both instan-
ces. 1t certainly would be foolish to
return to the old method of exposing
cut meats to all the various contain
mating influences present in a public
shop. Only those who think that
What was good for Paul and Silas
is good enough for me-" or who are
too ignorant to know the meaning
of the progress we have made would
suggest such a move. On the other
hand to take the enforcement of the
law out of the hands of that element
in the community which is most con-
cerned with its enforcement, viz, the
women, would be to sacrifice a vital
principle in the enforcement of all
law. The signers of the petition
it seems to me, have entirely mis-
judged the intelligence of the people
of North Yakima the state of the
public sentiment and the temper of
the city commission, If they think
that either the public or the commits
sion would ever consent to a back
ward step like the ones proposed
What We need now IS a more rigid
enforcement of the existing law ana
the esta blishment in addition Of Il
meat inspection on the order of the