66 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



ed meats. The bulk of our inspected meat comes from those firms 

 v/hich are generally understood to be in the packing house trust. 

 Conditions, at the present time, are driving business into the hands 

 of the already financially powerful packing firms. Through our 

 own neglect we are indirectly strengthening the packing house 

 trust. 



During the coming year I hope to take the matter of meat in- 

 spection up with the mayors of the various cities of this State and 

 try to secure an organization which will formulate intelligent and 

 practical plans for the regulation of the slaughtering of food ani- 

 mals and the production and sale of milk in the cities. I cannot 

 now give any definite outline of the probable plan, but will submit 

 the matter to the board from time to time during the coming year. 



INVESTIGATIONS. 



Without much more delay, investigations ought to be made 

 (1), to ascertain whether or not animals that are diseased, or 

 otherwise unfit for food, are being taken from the public stock 

 yards in this State to nearby slaughter houses, or, in case of milk 

 cows, to be added to dairy herds; and (2), whether or not breeders 

 in other states are culling out their tuberculous cows and shipping 

 them into this State. 



The Federal yard inspectors have no authority over animals at 

 the public stock yards, unless such animals are for interstate ship- 

 ment, or for slaughter in a packing plant engaged in interstate 

 business. Any animal, no matter how badly diseased, may, under 

 present conditions, be taken from a public market in this State 

 to any other point within this State for slaughter or for addition 

 to a dairy herd without let or hindrance. Many such animals are 

 doubtless now being added to our dairy herds. There is consider- 

 able evidence to the effect that diseased cattle and hogs are continu- 

 ally being taken from the public stock yards to nearby slaughter 

 houses to be slaughtered for use as human food. A thorough in- 

 vestigation of this matter ought to be made at the earliest moment, 

 and, if it is found necessary, the State ought to supplement the 

 Federal yard inspection to the end of completely preventing the re- 

 moval of diseased animals therefrom for slaughter or for addition 

 to dairy herds. 



There are a number of well known cases of the shipment of 

 tuberculous cows into this State for breeding and dairy purposes. 

 This of itself is enough to justify the State in requiring certificates 

 of health for all breeding and dairy cattle imported into the State. 



