282 . ANNUAL. REiPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The criticism was directed against conditions of filth and un- 

 eleanliness in the preparation and handling of prepared meat-food 

 products. Some meat-food products were prepared in a cleanly and 

 sanitary manner, but for the moment the innocent suffered with the 

 guilty. ' The sole conclusion is, that our own people and foreign 

 nations have discriminated to a nicety between the products which 

 were prepared under proper conditions and the product, the prepara- 

 tion of which was open to criticism. 



It should naturally follow, then, when the packing houses of the 

 country are maintained in a sanitary condition, that the Government 

 stamp of inspection^ upon meat and meat-food products will be given 

 full faith and credit by foreign nations, and in the end we may nat- 

 urally expect, as a result of the agitation of the past few months 

 and the passage and enforcement of the drastic Meat Inspection 

 Law, that there will be a permanent and steady increase in both 

 foreign and domestic trade. 



I am here to say to you that this administration has made, and 

 will continue to make, the Federal stamp upon meat and meat-food 

 products, stand for something. When you see this stamp upon a 

 product, you may know that the meat is from in^althy animals,and 

 these animals were killed and the meat was prepared under proper 

 sanitary conditions; that no harmful preservative, chemical, dye or 

 filth has been allowed in the preparation; that the name of the prod- 

 uct on the label is a true name, and that the supervision of the 

 preparation of that particular product has been extended from the 

 hoof to the can. 



To secure the best results, the breeders and feeders of every state 

 in the Union should take up vigorously the question of the extension 

 of markets, and should back the Department of Agriculture in an 

 insistent demand for an absolutely efficient, vigilant, fair and square 

 meat inspection. We have the healthiest food animals and the best 

 feed in the world. If a due regard be had for cleanliness, decency 

 and honesty in the preparation and marketing of our meat products, 

 the United States will continue to lead the world in live stock and 

 meat. 



