OLEOMARGARINE. 683 



mortem examination whether it is so diseased or not, the committee 

 takes the animal to a slaughtering establishment, and it is killed. A 

 post-mortem examination is then made, and if the animal is diseased 

 sufficiently to be considered unhealthy, kerosene is poured over the 

 carcass. If it is the judgment of the committee that the animal is not 

 diseased sufficiently to render it unfit for food, it is sold in the open 

 market. 



In our city the Government inspectors are all over the yards. They 

 stand in the gates as the cattle go to the scales. There are two inspect- 

 ors at each scale as the cattle run in the gate. They examine those 

 cattle, making what we term an ante-mortem examination; and if, 

 from the appearance of any one of the cattle, they deem it diseased, it 

 is cut out. Then, after those cattle go to the slaughtering establish- 

 ment, they are reinspected under ante-mortem examination; and when 

 they are slaughtered they are inspected post-mortem, as I have stated. 



Now, in that post-mortem examination the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, through its chief veterinarians, operating under the Bureau of 

 Animal Industry, has sole power to decide as to whether that animal 

 is or is not so diseased as to render it unfit for human food. If it is it 

 goes into the rendering tank and is made into soap. If it is healthy it 

 is put on the market and sold. 



Eepresentative ALLEN. You say that kerosene is poured over it? 



Mr. McCoy. That is the Chicago system ; yes, sir. 



Eepresentative ALLEN. If it is found to be diseased! 



Mr. McCoY. Yes, sir. 



Eepresentative ALLEN. Then what is done? 



Mr. McCoY. It goes into the rendering tanks for soap. 



Eepresentative BAILEY. Mr. McCoy, the object of putting the kero- 

 sene on it is to absolutely unfit it for human food, so that it can not be 

 used. It is to prevent any fraud. 



Mr. McCoY. Yes, sir. 



Eepresentative ALLEN. You do not undertake to say that that would 

 prevent the fat of the animal from being used for oleomargarine, do 

 you? 



Mr. McCoY. If you put coal oil all over it? 



Eepresentative ALLEN. Yes; can you not extract that by some 

 process. 



Mr. McCoY. I do not know, sir. I am not sufficiently posted to 

 answer as to that, but I should not think you could. Even if that were 

 not the case, the United States Government has its official right there, 

 and it is his duty to see that that animal is not used for food; and the 

 burden falls upon the Government. 



The CHAIRMAN. The coal-oil process is a local law, a local ordinance. 



Mr. McCoY. Yes; in Chicago. 



The CHAIRMAN. And it was enacted because a large crowd of fellows 

 got together and sold the carcases, and shipped them down to the Ful- 

 ton street market, and sold them there. The idea of pouring the oil 

 over it was to prevent it from going down to Fulton street. 



Eepresentative BAILEY. Mr. McCoy, may I ask you a question? Do 

 you consider it impossible to get diseased meat, or the product of any 

 part of the animal, upon the market for sale as food under our present 

 inspection? 



Mr. McCOY. No, sir; I do not; nor dfc I believe that laws generally 

 absolutely eradicate crime. I believe that some men will steal in spite 

 of the laws on the subject. 



