Senator GORE. That is to exterminate tuberculosis? The CHAIRMAN. And that amount you regard as necessary for your work? Secretary WILSON. Our estimate was regarded as necessary. The House committee thought we might get along with less, so we bring the matter to you. The CHAIRMAN. Is there any reason for the change that you know of? Secretary WILSON. It is no question that they need the money. There is no question of it in my mind. Senator GORE. I think you ought not to be too penurious or stingy in such a matter as that. I take more interest in that than I do in the raising of salaries. Secretary WILSON. That is one of the great questions that Congress will have to take up some day, with regard to tuberculosis throughout the country. It must be eradicated. Senator GORE. Is $611,800 more than you could use? Secretary WILSON It is as much as they can use along this particular line. Senator GORE. I am in favor of letting you have it if you want it. Secretary WILSON. If we start out to get rid of tuberculosis altogether it will take more money than that. Mr. Chairman, there is an amendment proposed on page 13, in line 15, as follows: Provided, That the sanitary provisions for slaughtering, meat canning, or similar establishments, as set forth in the act of June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and six (Thirty-fourth Statutes, page six hundred and seventy-six), are hereby extended to cover renovated butter factories as defined in the act of May ninth, nineteen hundred and two (Thirty-second Statutes, page one hundred and ninety-six), under such regulations as the Secretary of Agriculture may prescribe. Secretary WILSON. We can not touch the renovated-butter business until we find it in the product going to the market, and we would like to get into the factory sooner than that. The CHAIRMAN. That was proposed and allowed by the House committee, was it? Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And it went out on a point of order in the House? Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Will you please give us some reasons why that should be the law? Secretary WILSON. There are some 50 renovated-butter factories in the United States, and while the department was authorized to inspect their products it has no authority to destroy butter that is unfit for human consumption until after such butter is made up into the finished product, nor has the department authority to compel sanitary conditions in such factories. Such authority is sought by the amendment to the law requested. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. What is this renovated-butter factory? Secretary WILSON. A grocer or some little enterprise in a country town takes in butter with groceries generally. He buys it and puts it in a barrel when he gets it, or a box. It is of all colors and consistency and all kinds. That is what it is. Renovating means this: They go to work and mix it all together and put in some aniline dyes, so as to get one color, and the aniline dyes are rather liberal. They will get one color a little yellower than the other. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. It makes it look pretty nice? Senator PERKINS. Is it not rancid? Secretary WILSON. Some of it is rancid; that is true. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. I think the Secretary ought to have the power to investigate it. house we want the power to shut That is what we do. We have Secretary WILSON. We want to get at them before they get it worked up, and if they have a nasty them up unless they will clean up. 916 packing houses to look after. Senator PERKINS. In how many different States? Senator GUGGENHEIM. How many of those establishments do you think there are? Secretary WILSON. There are 50 of them. Now, we shut up a packing house if they persist in remaining dirty and filthy; we just shut them up until they clean up. That, of course, is a tremendous power and we do not exercise it unless the factory man is contumacious. Senator PERKINS. The House committee thought you ought to have this power, did they not? Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir. Senator GUGGENHEIM. This was not submitted to the House committee, was it this amendment? Secretary WILSON. I think it was. Senator GUGGENHEIM. What was the trouble? Senator CHAMBERLAIN. It went out on a point of order in the House. Secretary WILSON. As new legislation. Lest I forget it, there is another matter that I want to call your attention to, because it will probably come to you. Some people in this country have been eating pork meat that has trichinæ in it. There is a certain class of people in this country, mostly foreigners, who eat meat without cooking. They will take a ham-you will see it on the market, Westphalia ham. It was never cooked in the world. Then I have been in the factories and seen them; they make sausages out of beef and pork mixed together and put them up to dry. They become very hard but there are people, a good many from foreign countries, that want them, so they make them for them, but the meat is never cooked. There is such a thing in the United States as trichina in hogs, but nobody ever gets injured if they cook the meat. We have advertised and sent out circulars and all that kind of thing and mentioned in our reports that people eating pork meat should cook it. It would cost us $4,000,000 to examine all the hogs in the United States that go into the packing houses. I went to see the President about it yesterday. The fact is he requires us, when we make any estimates, or if we add to our estimates, to go up and discuss them with him, which no doubt is good administration, and so I went and told him about this matter, and I understand he sent a message here with regard to it. There was a million dollars put in. That was our first guess. If we are going to examine all the hogs in the United States it would be $4,000,000, but we think it would not be anything like that much to examine the hogs that are put into sausage, or hams, or any other meat food products without cooking, and so you will have to help us do the estimating and guessing about the amount we need to begin with. We put in a million dollars so we would be sure. Senator GUGGENHEIM. I think it would save money if you would insist on the packers putting a label on these articles that they must be cooked before eating. The CHAIRMAN. Were you aware that trichina were in existence before the instance to which you have referred? Secretary WILSON. We have an historical knowledge with regard to the hog that once in a while it is found. I do not think that is found in our pork, however, as it is in the pork of other countries. But it is occasionally found, and if the people would cook their pork there would be no difficulty. Senator GUGGENHEIM. Would it do any good if that act were amended so as to provide that the packers should put a label on the article, stating that it should be cooked before being eaten? Secretary WILSON. It might. Senator GUGGENHEIM. I think it would help considerably. Secretary WILSON. That would have to be separate legislation, would it not? Senator GORE. Would not that have to go on everything they send out except canned goods? Senator GUGGENHEIM. It would apply particularly to sausages and ham. Secretary WILSON. The department could order that put on, I have no doubt, without legislation. We have power to make rules. Senator GUGGENHEIM. I think that is a matter that should be borne in mind as being probably desirable. The CHAIRMAN. In line 17, page 13, there is another suggested change. Secretary WILSON. I think, maybe, that is the total. The CHAIRMAN. No; it states, "For all necessary expenses for investigations and experiments in animal husbandry, $52,180." Secretary WILSON. The sum of $52,180 was estimated for, but the House committee reduced it to $47,480. The CHAIRMAN. And what you ask is to have your estimate restored? Secretary WILSON. That is what we ask. The CHAIRMAN. The next suggested amendment is, on page 14, after line 12, insert the following: And hereafter the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to sell in the open market or to exchange for other breeding animals or animal products, to the best advantage, without the usual condemnation proceedings and public auction, such animals or animal products produced or purchased under the appropriations made by Congress for the use of the Bureau of Animal Industry as may not be needed in the work of that bureau: Provided, That all moneys received from the sale of such animals or animal products, or as a bonus in the exchange of the same, shall be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. Secretary WILSON. Yes; the law now requires us to advertise and sell anything we want to dispose of at public auction. Senator GUGGENHEIM. The proposed amendment gives you a discretion. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. Secretary, ought there not, if that power is granted, be filed with the money a statement showing exactly what this money was derived from? Secretary WILSON. There always is. For example, we experimented across the river at the Arlington farms, and we have productspeaches, etc. that are sold just the same as if they belonged to a private individual, and the money is brought to our disbursing officer and we put it in the Treasury. Mr. ZAPPONE. We deposit it in the Treasury. They submit a regular bill of sale, by items, showing the amount received for each item and the original value thereof. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. They require that? Mr. ZAPPONE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. In this form was it reported to the House? The CHAIRMAN. And it went out? Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir; on a point of order. The CHAIRMAN. Is there anything further that you desire to state in regard to it? Secretary WILSON. I think I have stated all that I can that would be interesting to the committee. Mr. ZAPPONE. Reverting to the remarks of the Secretary with regard to trichinæ, I would like to suggest that between lines 21 and 22, on page 14, the following proviso be inserted: Provided, That the annual appropriation for the meat-inspection service of the Department of Agriculture, provided by the act of June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and six, thirty-fourth Statutes, six hundred and sixty-nine, is hereby increased from three million dollars for each fiscal year to four million dollars for each fiscal year, which latter sum is hereby appropriated for each fiscal year, beginning July one, nineteen hundred and twelve, for the object and purposes named in said act of Congress of June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and six, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. I merely submit this for consideration pending the receipt of the supplemental estimate in the regular way by the committee, so that if wish to refer to it you may. you BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. The CHAIRMAN. Now, on page 20, there is a proviso intended as an amendment submitted by the Secretary? The SECRETARY. We are now considering the Bureau of Plant Industry, I believe? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Secretary WILSON. It is proposed to add the following proviso: That not to exceed eight thousand dollars of this amount may be used for the purchase of spinning machinery in order to conduct the necessary tests in connection with the ginning, handling, and grading of cotton. I had a long chat with Dr. Galloway about it, and he has prepared this statement: It is desired to purchase certain machinery for spinning purposes and the solicitor of the department is of the opinion that the subappropriation for cotton standardization is insufficient as it now reads to warrant the expense. In view of the fact that the Bureau of Plant Industry is now at the point where it is absolutely necessary that accurate tests of the spinning value of different samples of cotton should be made it is urgently desired that the proviso which is submitted herewith be added to the subappropriation in question, especially as it involves no increase in the amount of the appropriation. Among the matters necessary to determine, if the manifest intent of Congress is to be carried out, are the following: 39383-12-2 1. The normal amount of moisture the cotton contains under various conditions. 2. The proper amount of waste allowable for any given grade. 3. At what rate the spinning value of cotton diminishes with an increasing amount of short fiber in it, and conversely, how its spinning value increases as the percentage of its long fiber increases. 4. What changes are produced in the spinning value by untoward conditions, such as unsuitable weather, mixture of varieties, improper ginning, storing in the open, and wetting the bales. I think that is all that is necessary to read. I said to Dr. Galloway: "Can't you go to a spinning mill and get this determined?” He said: "The men who spin and own the mills look at it solely from the standpoint of the manufacturer," and there are things that he wants to find out and that the country should know that can not be found out from the manufacturer, and so of the moneys that have been appropriated by the House he wants authority to use $8,000. The CHAIRMAN. Do I understand you to say that it is not an increase of the appropriation? Secretary WILSON. No, sir; it does not increase it. The CHAIRMAN. On lines 20 and 21 verbal changes are suggested with respect to grains-grains and grain being changed to cereals and cereal? Secretary WILSON. You will notice that a large appropriation has been given by Congress for some four or five years back, to have investigations of grain made. The foreign consignees were complaining about the condition in which our grain arrived in foreign countries, and we have had quite a sum of money during all of these years. There has been a great deal of work done, and Dr. Galloway is just about ready to report. He has found some very interesting facts with regard to grain, and we had a clash between two of our bureaus the other day. The chief of the Bureau of Chemistry was of the opinion that it came under the jurisdiction of the pure-food law, but Congress had ordered it done by this other bureau. Senator GORE. Which other bureau? Secretary WILSON. Galloway's bureau, Plant Industry, and being ready to report I told the chemist to let it lie until we could hear what Dr. Galloway had to say about it. Senator GUGGENHEIM. That refers particularly to wheat, does it not? Secretary WILSON. Or corn. The corn last year got wet and was in a very bad condition. Sometimes it heats if it is not dried out before it is shipped, and gives our grain in foreign countries a bad name. The CHAIRMAN. You have added the words "cereals," "cereal," "and the study of cereal diseases?" Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ZAPPONE. That was done in order that the phraseology might clearly define the work that is done under that appropriation. There are many more cereals than grain that are investigated. The CHAIRMAN. Do you desire to say anything further with regard to that item? Secretary WILSON. I think not. The CHAIRMAN. The next amendment is on page 21, line 15: For taxonomic investigations and study of methods for the improvement of grazing lands, twenty-one thousand nine hundred and thirty dollars. |