No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 279 



of men known as meat inspectors. They do not conduct postmortem 

 examinations and inspections, but are men sliilled in tlie prepara- 

 tion and handling of meats. They test meats and meat food prod- 

 ucts to ascertain whether they are tainted, and to see to 

 it that cleanliness is observed in all branches of the work. They are 

 selected because of their practical experience in these lines, and each 

 one has passed a rigid civil service examination. Also a class of 

 men known as stock examiners, who are principally engaged in the 

 ante-mortem inspection of animals. 



REPORT FOR APRIL, 1907. 



In the month of April the following appointments were made: 



Veterinary inspectors, 31; meat inspectors, 45; taggars, 13; agents 

 for eradication of scabies, 50; for eradication of ticks, 61; reinstated 

 in the above appointments, 25; died, 5; dismissed, 7. 



Of the number dismissed, 3 were veterinarians, 12 were meat in- 

 spectois, 1 taggar and 1 clerk. 



The number of establishments under inspection on December 1, 

 1906, was 623, and the number has been increased daily. The total 

 number of employes engaged in meat inspection on December 1, 

 1906, was 1,964. To meet this expense the government carries a 

 permanent appropriation of $3,000,000 per annum. — (Keport for 

 April, 1907). 



Provision is made in the law for the reinspection of carcasses or 

 parts thereof at such time as may be necessary, and if upon any such 

 reinspection any carcasses, or parts thereof, is found to be unfit for 

 human food, such carcasses or parts thereof shall be destroyed for 

 food purposes by the establishment in the presence of an inspector. 

 The law provides that if any establishment shall fail to destroy 

 for food purposes carcasses or parts condemned by the inspectors, 

 the Secretary may remove the inspector from the establishment. 

 This action would shut out fro.m interstate commerce the products 

 of the establishment. 



One of the most important features of the law is the sanitary in- 

 spection. The Secretary is directed to cause experts in sanitation 

 and other competent inspector to inspect all establishments in which 

 the four animals are slaughtered, and the meat is prepared for in- 

 terstate or foreign commerce, and he is authorized to prescribe the 

 rules and regulations of sanitation under which such establishment 

 shall be maintained. 



Where the sanitary conditions of any establishment are such that 

 the meat or meat-food products are thereby rendered unfit for human 

 food, he must not allow the meat or meat-food products to be labeled 

 "Inspected and Passed." The sanitary regulations of the depart- 

 ment are stringent and vigorously and rigorously enforced. 



The law provides that meat-food products which contain dyes, 

 chemicals, preservatives or ingredients, rendering it unsound, un- 

 healthful. unwholesome or other^\ise unfit for human food, shall be 

 destroyed for food purposes. The exception to this rule is that 

 preservatives may be used in meat-food products for exportation to 

 any foreign country, where the preservative has been ordered by the 

 foreign purchaser, and when no substance is used in the prepara- 

 tion or packing of the meat, which conflicts with the law^s of the 



