The Washington times., 1912-05-20

I support Of the Nelson resolution maxi
ing charges of disgraceful conditions In
1 the meat inspection service.
At one stage of the hearing, the wit
| ness called Solicitor McCabe and DR..
Melvin, of the Bureau of Animal In
dustry, liars" Chairman Moss raped
| once more for order, and directed that
the record be expurgated of the blunt
| language. DR.. Harms was relating how
| 1900 to 1,500 pounds of lard had been
spilled at the Swift establishment into
a sewer. The meat was filthy. he pro-
tested. Chief Inspector Meadow, he
! said, had urged Inspector Fitzgerald to
pass the lard, but the case ultimately
went over his head and on a final de-
cision most of the lard was given to
This is the case in which DR.. Melvin
and Solicitor McCabe In their bulletin
say am a liar; l say when they say
that, they are liars"
The witness related several instances,
occurring in different establishments,
where he had condemned lard and meats
only to be overruled by his superior
officers. The witness charged that Chief
Inspector Meadow had "hushed up the
discovery that Swift's was diverting
white grease into lard. The witness also
criticised the alleged unsanitary con-
ditions existing in the Armour and the
Morris plants in East st. Louis.
Was Used Regardless.
On one occasion he said he held up
thousand pounds of beef fat for
filth. 1t had fallen into an elevator pit
in which was four TO six inches of filthy
seepage. The fat was allowed by his
superiors to go to the packers.
He held up, on another occasion, about
800 pounds of lard which had been
dumped on an elevator platform used
contrary to regulations for both edible
and nonedible products. 1t was scooped
up with a shovel. 1t was also allowed
bV his sunPriOrs to naSa
which Melvin and McCabe distorted
and pointed out that l did not know
what / was talking about"
DR.. Harms said he did know what
what he was talking about, and that
the products went into the market and
was marked ~. 8. Inspected and
Passed"
He charged that Superintendent Rich
ardson of one Of the Swift plants had
taken hog or caused II to be taken,
which he, Harms. had retained under
seal because he deemed it unfit.
hushed 1t up
What do you mean by hushed up?'
he was asked.
simply that no further move was
made In regard to It.
That was what | based my charges
in my letter to Secretary Wilson of
June s. 1909, that those in charge OF the
meat-inspection service were serving the
packers, adued Dr. harms
Orders Were Disregarded.
DR.. Harms emphasized the lack Of
respect with which men in the meat
inspection service were treated about
the packing houses. He mentioned an
instance in which a packing house en-
ploye had been ordered. because OF his
filthy clothing. not to perform certain
duties. The order was given by DR..
In diSFeRarded.
The witness told Of one case in which
DR.. Meader and DR.. Clancy, his su-
periors, had sustained him In cleaning
up certain fats and unclean tanks at
Nelson Morris place. improvements
were made. and he said 1t illustrated
that 1t was possible with the regula-
tions when inspectors were sustained by
those higher up to get results.
rs this the only case in which you
were sustained?
This was the only case when a spe-
cifc task was asked of me-" replied the
witness.
The reopening of the meat inspection
| investigation today was to allow Con-
gressman Nelson to present one addi-
| tional witness in the preliminary In
uuiry. Chairman Moss also VIII put on
a sleuth who has made a secret inves-
! tigation of one OF the large packing
centers. This secret investigator was
engaged without the knowledge of either
the Department of Agriculture or the
packers.
Mr. Moss said at the conclusion of the
hearing today that his witness will take
the stand Wednesday. The Moss inves-
| tigator, 1t Is learned, Is DR.. A. Z. Sig
Ter, a veterinarian. of Greencastle, Ind.
Chairman Moss does not know, he says,
the nature of the prospective testimony
Of this special Investigator, but follow
ing the story of DR.. Sigler, the House
Committee will determine whether the
Nelson charges have been sufficiently
sunstantiated to justify a sweeping In
quiry into the entire meat inspection
service.