The Washington times., 1912-05-20
UGLY WORD USED
IN MEAT INQUIRY
Former Inspector Declares That Product of Packing
Plants Unfit for Use Was Passed as Good After
Being Condemned by Him.

With more wrangling among members
of the committee and with the witness
using such blunt language at times that
1t was sticken from the record, the
Moss committee Of the House today re-
opened its preliminary inquiry into the
Meat Inspection Service and the charges
made by Congressman Nelson of Mime
sofa.
The preliminary investigation will
close Wednesday, when Chairman Moss
will present a witness who has made a
secret investigation, at the instance of
Mr.. Moss, at one of the large meat
packing centers. The committee then
will determine whether to order a gem
eral prcbe Under the Nelson resolu-
ton.
DR.. j. F. Harms, of Fremont, Ohio,
formerly an inspector in the meat in
spection service, took the stand today
as the fourth and last witness for Mr..
Nelson in the informal investigation. The
witness passed the lie" to Solicitor Nc
Cabe and DIR. Melvin. representing the
department, and in describing alleged
filthy conditions In East st. Louis pack
ing establishments, used certain Ian
guage deemed unfit for the record.
None Are Sanitary.
DR.. Harms testified that in his two
years experience as an inspector he
had never seen a meat packing estab-
lishment which he considered as "sani-
tary."
The witness said It was customary
with many establishments to convert
meat condemned for lard purposes into
grease. This grease, he said, was aft
erward put into the lard, anyway.
They put in as much as they think
1t will stand" said DR.. Harms, who
one instance which came under his
personal knowledge. This was at
Swift's, he he testified, during the early
II held 800 pounds Of unfit trimmings
They were filthy, and you could sec
tobacco sputum In the trimmings Dr.
Meadow and / had a three-hour argu-
ment over the condemnation of the
trimmings and l finally had to compro-
mise by allowing them to go, to the
grease tank. That was about the same
as diverting them into lard direct, for
had watched the grease tank and
knew the amount turned out each day.
The same amount did not go into stor-
age, and a part Of 1t went into lard"
At this juncture Congressman Higgins
demanded to know If DR.. Harms had
been discharged from the meat inspec-
ton service.
mo, sir" said the witness. sharply.
Il was removed for the good of the
packers"
WHO says that?' asked Mr.. Higgins.
Resignation Refused.
THE department as good as said so,
answered Harms. Secretary Wilson
would not accept my resignation, but he
wrote that / would be removed from
the rolls for the good Of the service.
That meant for the good of the pack
ers:"
That's your opinion" said Mr.. Hig-
1T Is promptly retorted DIR. Harms.
Another tilt came when Mr. Higgins
wanted to know where did you go after
you left the Government service?"
Chairman Moss raped the table, and
told the witness not TO answer the ques-
ton. Mr.: Higgins said it was quite per-
tinent. Before the witness could be
Where l went has nothing to do with
passing off bad meat on the public"
Tr. Harms then said he had returned
to the employ of cutlery firm in Free
mont, Ohio, with whom he had been
associated before going with the Gov
Crnment in 1907
The former inspector testified that q
chief inspector in the Eastside Packing
House had told him in December, 1908
The people who eat such stuff are
too lazy 20 prepare anything for them
selves, and ought to eat stuff like this. +"
DR.. Harms continued that expressions
like this had convinced him that "the
chief inspectors of the Bureau of Ami
NAL Industry didn't care a - about
the public"
Chairman Moss ordered the remark
stricken from the record.
Bore Out Charges.
In general. the testimony of DR..
Harms, who was stationed for twenty
one months in nack{pQ asta hIi oh on ts
in st. Louis, bore out the charges of
Mrs. Crane, DR.. Laddey. and Mr.. Bur-
roughs, witnesses who have testified in