22 



BEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



require inspection and exact a fee for the same. So menacing is this 

 situation to the great cattle industry of the Southwest and West tliat 

 efforts are being made by the National Live Stock Association to bring 

 the matter before the Supreme Court of the United States, in order 

 that a decision may be rendered as to the constitutionality of these 

 State restrictions upon interstate commerce when Congress has already 

 legislated upon the subject and provided an adequate inspection serv- 

 ice. I would recommend that the Department of Agriculture take 

 such action as it properly may to interest the Department of Justice 

 and to secure its assistance in presenting the case. 



INSPECTION DIVISION. 



MEAT INSPECTION. 



The number of abattoirs and packing houses where cattle, sheep, 

 calves, and hogs and their products were inspected during the year 

 was 156. The number noted in the preceding report was 148. The 

 number of localities where the work was conducted increased from 

 45 to 51. Horses were inspected at one other abattoir. 



The following table shows the increase j'ear after year in the number 

 of abattoirs where inspection has been maintained and the number of 

 cities where the work is done : 



Number of abattoirs and cities where inspection was maintained, 1892 to 1901. 



The following table shows the numbers and kinds of animals 

 inspected before slaughter, and the number of tliese that were rejected 

 for some cause apparently unfitting them for food purposes, the final 

 condemnation or passing of the carcass depending upon the result of 

 the post-mortem inspection : 



Ante-mortem inspections for the fiscal year 1901. 



Kind of animal. 



Cattle 



Sheep 



Calves 



Hogs 



Horses 



Total 



For official 

 abattoirs in 

 cities where 

 inspections 

 were made. 



5,375,315 



6,663,033 



400,341 



24,486,130 



1,991 



36,925,709 



For abat- 

 toirs in other 



cities and 

 miscellane- 

 ous buyers. 



4, 904, 883 



4,571,827 



266,335 



9,700,&56 



19,443,601 



Total inspec- 

 tions. 



10,380,198 



11,3:33,859 



666, 476 



:54, 186, 786 



1,991 



56,369,310 



Rejected (subject to 



result of post-mortem 



inspection). 



At abat- 

 toirs. 



318 



890 



1,635 



5,812 



3 



8,658 



In stock 

 yards. 



14,737 

 7,683 

 3,173 



71,386 



95,868 



There was an increase over last year in the number of all classes 

 of animals inspected, with the exception of a decided decrease in 

 the number of horses, there being but a third as many of these as 



