Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-20
ORDER WILL HAVE EFFEcT
ON PRESENT INSPECTORS
Ssrvies Must 30 Better or Food In
spsetors Will Put Nest Invsssis ators
in Bad Lisht-ordsr May Have Inn
portant Bearing on Meat Zehedutss
in New Tariff Dill.
ESPECIAL Correspondence

question of purity in foods in favor
Of the public. think that the new poll
icy Of the government to the effect
that meats and meat products shall be
subject to pure food inspection is going
to prove one Of the most important
steps yet taken In the direction Of
protecting the country,s food supply.
Hereafter. meat and meat products.
regardless Of whether they have been
subjected to inspection as contem-
plated in the federal meat inspection
act. are to be subject to the pure food
law This means that If a pure food
inspector goes to the markets or the
stores or elsewhere and finds meats or
meat products which are adulterated
or misbranded or In a condition unfit
for food. he can seize the stun and
take the usual proceedings for con-
demnation under the pure food law and
for prosecution Of the offending par
ties.
This decision OF the federal govern
ment. which is due to recommendations
from Secretary Of Agriculture Houston,
after he had caused an investigation to
be made by q departments! commit
tee. is expected to have a far-reachinS
effect.
Inspection Inadequate.
No end Of evidence has been as
sembled in one way and another TO
prove the inadequacy Of the federal
meat inspection. No end of unfit and
rotten meats have been palmed off on
the public despite this law and, in some
cases. with the federal authorities
winking at it. Startling testimony IN
this respect was laid some months
ago before the house committee on
expenditures in the department OF ag-
riculture. the committee of which Con-
gresham Moss. of Indiana. was chair
man in the last congress. Efforts were
made in vain under the Nelson resolu-
ton to get an investigation of the
charges that the meat inspection law
was not being enforced in the way
1t should be. in fact that there were
abuses Of the grossest and most dis
gushing sort under 1t. Much evidence
was piled up before the committee
to show the need of an inquiry but the
committee. being friendly to the pack
q ers, backed by the house leaders. would
! not take any action Congressman
Nelson intends to renew the effort for
an investigation, IL the new adminls-
tration does not make 1t unnecessary.
However there is now no reason, with
the pure food law and the meat in-
spection law together, why the pub
lie should not be fully protected. The
department Of agriculture Is amply
armed with authority to do so and II
At meats and meat products are not
sold the consumers 1t will be because
OF lax enforcement OF statutes which.
tho they might be improved in various
respects, are still competent to bet
ter conditions greatly.
Inspectors Must Wake Up.
For one thing, it is believed the de-
cision to enforce the pure food law
against meats and meat products will
compel the meat inspection service to
be more strict. Secretary Houston
will have. in. the pure food inspector,
a constant check on the meat inspec-
ton system.
The new ruling may play an import
ant part in the tariff Bills considera-
ton. A mooted question in connection
with the bill is whether to impose on
meats brought in free from abroad the
same requirements as to purity which
the meat inspection law imposes on
domestic meats. If the pure food law
is applied rigidly to all meats in inter-
state commerce, the shippers OF foreign
meats themselves will in the long run
be obliged to confine their shipments
to meats which are fit for food pur-
poses. II
A Dogs impression Of Drunkard.
In the July American Magazine. Don
MARQUIS writes a dog story entitled
Dogs and Boys" in which the dog
tells as follows about his adventures
with a drunkard:
"Bill was the town drunkard, and all
OF us dogs used to run and bark at him
when there were any humans looking
on. never knew how we got started
at Il, but 1t was the fashion. We didn't
have anything against old Bill either,
but we let on like we thought he was
tough character: that is. II anyone was
looking at us. If we ever met old Bill
towards the edge OF town, where no one
cAuld see us, we were always friendly
enough with him, too. Bill liked dogs,
and used to be always trying to pet us,
and knew Just the places where dog
liked to be scratched. but there wasn't
a dog in town would be seen making up
to him. Wed let him think maybe we
were going to be friendly, and smell
ana sniff around him In an encourag-
Ing sort Of way, like we thought may
be he was an acquaintance OF ours. and
then old Sill would get real proud and
try to pat our heads, and say: The
dogs all know old Bill, all rfght-yes.
sir! They know who's got a good
heart and who amt. May be an out
cast, but the dogs know-yes. str!' And
when he said that we'd groWl and back
on. and circle around him, and bristle
our backs up. and act like we'd finally
found the man that robbed our family's
chicken-house last week, and run in
and snap at Bills legs. Then all the
boys and other humans around would
LAUGH. reckon It was kind Of mean
ana hypocritical In US dogs, too: but
yoi,,ye got to keep the humans jollied
up. and the coarsest kind Of jokes Is
the only IL kind they seem to ap-
prsc.s.e.
Florida the Pioneer.
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