Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-08
MILLIONS Of
PROFIT MADE
ON FISH PACK
Salmon Communicated for
Army in 1918 Turned Back
to Packers in 1919 on Basis
Which Melted Huge Sums.
SPOILED FISH GAMERS
MISS ALL PROSECUTICN

MISS ALL PR0SECUTlCN
United States Chemists Testify
That Thousands of Cases of
Tainted Meat Sold on War
Contracts-Action Promised
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, March why was
the salmon pack of 1918, which was
commandeered for the army, turned
back to the packers in June, 1919, on
a basis which produced millions in
profit for them and why were the
Gamers who put up spoiled fish by
thousands of cases not prosecuted?
These are the main lines of in
quiry followed in the investigation
of army salmon contracts by the
Reavis subcommittee on expendi-
lures in the war department. Grim
inal prosecution Of the Gamers under
the pure food act is threatened as
a result. r
DR.. Carl L. Alsberg, chief of the
United States bureau of chemistry,
has testified that in his opinion
clear case exists against a number
of Gamers, principally those operat-
ing in Alaska, chemists of the bureau
having determined that the bad SAL
mon was tainted or worse when
canned.
Many Complaints Received.
Army officers have testified that
complaints about canned salmon re-
ceived at the army camps began to
come in early in 1919, and these in
creased until it became apparent
that a large quantity of tainted fish
was included i'll the army rations.
Under the contract of purchase the
army could turn back bad salmon
up to July |. 1919, but there was
no way to tell what was good and
what was bad. This led to the So
called reclamation" contracts OF
June, which now form a principal
element of controversy.
Under these contracts the Gamers
took back all the salmon at the
prices paid by the government.
which were described as tentative,
but decreased by an allowance of
from g to 40 cents per case for re
casing, remarking and relabeling,
and the government also agreed t.
pay.fhe freight 'to-anvNpSsatgof fssifiTy4s
ment designated by the Gamer. The
government also gave free storage
for :ix months and charged no III
terest.
The testimony developed that tie
allowances made TO the Gamers
amo jnted to a gratuity, as the cases
were not actually remarked and re-
labeled. The freight has run to a
handsome sum, not yet determined,
but i'll many cases the government
paid for shipping half way across
the continent, wherever the canncr
had made safe.
The testimony developed that
when the government agreed to re-.
turn The salmon >; $775 a case for
a typical grade, with the deductlons
and freight, which reduced the gov
ernments salvage in many cases 20
Sc or less, he same grade was
quoted commercially at $lO.50 ard
continued to rise in price until it
reached SIS and $17.
Approved Reclamation Contracts.
MAJ. Gen. George w. Burr, chief
of staff, division of purchases ard
storage testified that he and Bcne-
dict Crowell, assistant secretary of
war. approved the reclamation"
contracts. He made no efforts 70
learn what prices might be obtained
by selling to other purchasers than
the tanners. His great concern, he
said, was to see that the salmon was
not used by the army and not
passed for sale where it might cause
sickness and death and that concern
was satisfied when the bureau Of
chemistry took the responsibility Of
passing the salmon that was to be
again sold to the public.
"As it appeared to me then" he
said, "the government was stuck
with 100000 cases of salmon, cost
ing $8,0OO,000 or $9,000,000, and we
could not tell what part was good
and what was bad"
The testimony indicates that be-
tween $4,000 and 100000 cases have
been condemned, and that about 80
per cent of the fish returned to the
packers have been resold by them
under permission of the bureau of
chemistry.
DR.. Alsberg said that on a trip to
Alaska last year he found sanitary
conditions deplorable at some of the
canneries, good at others. Success
sive catches were piled up on top
of others on the cannery floor and
the freshest catch first reached the
Gamers, the fish underneath per-
haps being carried over from day to
day until when finally reached they
were already tainted or spoiled.
Senators and representatives from
the Pacific. coast states are now re-
ceiving messages from canning in
terests protesting against whole
sale prosecutions, which, it is held,
might prejudice the public against
eating salmon, when such conclu
sions are unjustified.