The Daily Missoulian., 1913-04-15

Washington, April 1.-THE free
meat clause of the Underwood bill will
make American the dumping ground
for the diseased meats of the world
unless our meat inspection law is radi-
cally amended, according to Secretary
Mcclure of the National Woolgrowers'
association, who calls attention to the
fact that as the law stands the Ameri-
can people cannot be protected in the
Importation of meats our present
efficient meat inspection law does not
reach the imported product which
comes in under the pure food act, and
is, therefore passed by the bureau of
chemistry and not the bureau of ami
NAL industry.
THE free meat clause presents a
grave danger to the health of the
American people" said Secretary Nc
Clure, for no country from which we
might import meats in any quantity
has an adequate system of meat in
spection. Under free trade in meats
these products would come from Mexi-
co, China and Canada. Canada alone
of the countries mentioned has any
thing like a meat inspection law, and
its system is but three years old. No
country in the world has meat in
spection bill to compare with ours
This system costs the government in
direct spprop!ratjons $4,000 ,O0c year
and another $10O0,000 is appropriated
by cities and states. We annually
condemn $4,000 worth of domestic
meats, making a total Of more than
$7,00O000 our meat inspection system
costs u.s.
Our largest supply of foreign meats
under the Underwood bill would come
&c the South America countries.
Most of these have no meat Inspection
whatever, and those which do main
tain an inspection do 50 merely fo. the
purpose Of Facilitating the export busl-
ness and the inspection is farce. We
already import meat from China,
which has no inspection whatever
Contrary to general belief, the meat
inspection act of 1906 does not cover
the imported product. which comes in
under tile pure food at and is in
spected by the bureau of chemistry
The bureau of chemistry, of course
requires an inspection certificate to
accompany all imported meat, but as
II accepts these certificates from coun-
tries which do not maintain a decent
system Of inspection, imported meats
offer a serious menace to our public
health-or will if brought here in any
quantity. Meats inspected under the
pure food law can only determine the
state of preservation of the product,
while the animal bureau inspection is
made on the hoof and in the chilling
rooms. Unless our present law is
changed to have imported meat thus
inspected by the bureau of animal in
dustry, America will become the
dumping ground for diseased meats of
the world We could only insure such
inspection by placing United States
inspectors in the killing plants of all
foreign countries sending us meats,
With the Underwood bill placing
meats on the free list should 90 an
amendment to the inspection law to
meet this situation-although thus far
it has been entirely overlooked"
AS 1t Affects the West.
Commenting on the Underwood
tariff bill and its effect on the inter- |
tive Mondell Of Wyoming said today: |
The bill as introduced not ONLY /
threatens practically every important
industry of the country but strikes a
particularly hard blow at Industries |
present and prospective of the inter- |
mountain west, With wool on tho free
list we will be placed at a tremendous |
disadvantage compared TO Australia, |
and the Argentine for in addition to |
their much lower cost Of production
they have very conSiderab bic advant-
age IN the cost of getting their wool to !
market owing to cheap water freights. /
The temporary high wool prices now /
existing abroad on account of a world !
shortage may save us somewhat on
this springs clip, but free wool win be
free notice for our sheepmen to curtail
and prepare for the inevitable
Ihls, however, is not all of the
story for the rates on manufactured
wool are placed 50 low in the Under