THE CHICAGO SCANDAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2727, 20 June 1906, Page 58

THE CHICAGO SCANDAL.

NEW YORK, Juiie 12.

The Chairman of Committee of the American House on Agriculture, to which the Senate's bill dealing -with the packers* 6candals was referred without discussion, is trying to emasculate a measure in th» packers* interests.

June 13. Armour, Swift, Cudahy, Nelson, and Morris, American meat-packers, were found guilty of accepting concessions from the Burlington Railway Company on their export shipments.

June 15. President Roosevelt entirely disapproves of tbe Meat Inspection Bill as drafted in committee, and declares that it is inadequate to meet the circumstances at issue.

June 16.

President Roosevelt objects -to the House Committee's amendments to the Meat Inspection BUI, because tihey do not' provide for the inspection of meat at all " hoars of the day and night, and because tfhey do not empower the courts to review tho inspectors* decisions.

President Roosevelt is determined to secure adequate legislation, even if an extra session of congress is necessary.

The meat scandals are affecting tbe consumption of tin plates, and are making speculators in tin nervous.

June 17.

Mr Wadsworth, chairman of tbe Agricultural Committee, complains of President Roosevelt's strictures impugning the sincerity and competency of tbe Committee of the House of Representatives.

June 18.

President Roosevelt now admits that Mr Wadsworth's bill permits of tbe inspection of meat at any time.

There are indications that the packers are preparing to agree to the amendments ensuring the rigid inspection which President Roosevelt desires. This is largely due to the British consumers' energetic pro* tests.

LONDON, Jane 11.

The troops at Salisbury refused to eat tinned Dsef, and emptied the cans on Salisbury Plain.

In some towns the workhouse guardians are destroying large supplies of tinned food.

British dealers are threatened witb enormous losses.

The Armours, of Chicago, bare invited the British Medical Association, which meets at Toronto in August, to 6end a committee of inspection to Chicago to inspect their products, the Armours paying all expenses of the visit.

June 12.

Mr John Burns states that be will, if necessary, ask that legislative powers be conferred on the Local Government Board in order to secure the effective inspection of foreign foodstuffs.

June 13. The Royal Fusiliers at Parkhurst refused to eat American tinned "bully" beef.

June 14.

Reuter states that the Committee of the House of Representatives (Washington) has agreed to the appropriation of two million dollars for the Government to bear the cost of inspection, instead of the meat-packers. All meat products must in future bear Government labels, as a guarantee that they are wholesome. A label stating the date of their manufacture is not required, and the use of preservatives is left to the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Australian meat importers, under the presidency of Mr Sharp, unanimously adopted Mr Guthrie's resolution to appoint a committee of Australian colonists to assist in measures to develop the meat trade of the colonies. The Agentsgeneral are to be invited to associate themselves with the movement.

June 15.

Sir H. Tozer (Ag«nt -general for Queensland) has published a statement showing Queensland's vigorous supervision of meat inspection.

BERLIN, June 15.

The Prussian Minister of Agriculture states that Germany had been aware for a long time of the Chicago horrors, but refrained from denouncing them. She, however, protected her own people.

SYDNEY, June 18.

As the outcome of the Chicago scandals, the Premier has obtained a report from the chief Government medical officer showing that the system of inspection and supervision in operation in connection with the meat trade in Sydney is excellent.