investigating fully and thoroughly the charges made against American pork. This grave matter received at their hands the fullest examination, and they reported unanimously that the existence of any such disease as trichinosis among our hogs is a delusion, and that the swine of this country are practically free from any diseases injuriously affecting them for the purpose of food. 4. The bill as now proposed meets the approval of substantially the entire trade in this country. At a meeting of the members of the lard and provision trades of the New York Produce Exchange, held in the city of New York, on the 12th of February, 1884, a draft of a bill of a similar character to the one under discussion, was presented to that meeting, and the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: "Resolved, That for the purpose of removing all grounds for the exclusion of American pork, lard and live stock from foreign governments, it is the sense of this meeting that immediate steps should be taken to secure, during the present session of Congress, an Act providing for the appointment of Government Inspectors, whose duty it shall be to inspect, upon application, hog products, at the place of packing or shipping, and also live stock intended for foreign shipment, the certificate of such inspection to accompany such shipment. "Resolved, That in the opinion of this meeting the microscopic inspection of hog products, as proposed by the law now before the French Chamber, is virtually a prohibition.” Speaking upon the same subject, the trade in the city of Chicago, by a memorial bearing date the 21st day of January, 1885, and signed by men who represent at least three-fourths of our entire foreign shipments of the hog product, say that "House Bill No. 6405, 48th Congress, first session, reported by the House Committee on Commerce, providing for the inspection of live stock, dressed meats, and hog products, intended for foreign shipment, meets the full endorsement and approval of your memorialists, and they respectfully represent that the best interests of the trade in these products of our industry require its immediate passage. Your memorialists further represent that any amendment to said bill which requires their microscopical inspection, or inspection of any character at the point of shipment, would render such bill practically inoperative and useless. That the provisions of the pending bill have been carefully discussed and considered by your memorialists, and they believe that in its present shape it will meet the approval of the entire interest represented by it, and if passed, will lay the foundation for the removal of restrictions imposed by foreign governments upon the shipment of our products." Thus it will be seen that there is no division of sentiment as to this particular measure among the trade. At the outset of the discussion, a variety of views were entertained as to the wisdom of retaliatory measures, so-called. There were those who believed in extreme measures of retaliation, carried to the extent of absolutely prohibiting the importation to this country of goods from France and Germany; and others who believed that such a policy would be unwise. The provisions of the pending bill, as it will be seen, meet the endorsement and approval of all shades of opinion upon this subject. It is believed that, without reference to any action taken by any foreign government, with regard to the products of our industry, it is wise, by permanent legislation, and on general principles, to prohibit the importation into this country of any article of food or drink injurious to the health of our citizens, and that it is wise to repose permanently in the President of the United States, as its Chief Executive, the power himself to suspend by proclamation, as is provided by the last section of the bill, the importation of such articles into this country. These can hardly be considered as retaliatory measures. In any strict sense, they are not; but nevertheless, so pressing is the need for some legislation, that the pork packers, shippers, and dealers in these products have waived their differences of opinion and are entirely satisfied with the measure as now proposed. Inspection at the point of shipment, for many practical reasons, cannot be made operative. There is no reason to suppose that the inspection at New York or Boston, would be more thorough than the inspection at Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, or Kansas City. There is no danger that any serious change in the quality or condition of our pork will be effected during the course of its transportation from either of these points to the sea-board; and an inspection at the sea-board would involve the opening of packages, necessitating great expense, and would be placing a burden upon our foreign shipments which would be a virtual prohibition. Microscopical inspection is delusive, unnecessary, so tedious that it would cut off all the trade, and expensive. All these considerations, as practical men, we have considered and fully discussed; and again unite in recommending the passage of House Bili 6405, practically as it now stands. 5. The statistics are sufficiently cogent in their character to demonstrate the necessity for immediate action. During the year 1880, we shipped from this country, of pork and dried salted meats, to France, 67,965.586 pounds; during the year 1881, 70,002,856 pounds. The effect of the launching of the prohibitory edicts is shown by the extent of our shipments the next year; for, during the year 1882, we shipped to the French ports only 5,6C7,885 pounds— a loss of over 64,000,000 of pounds. In the year 1883, our shipments were 362,921 pounds-a loss of 69,000,000; and in 1884 our shipments were 2,979,569 pounds. Equally significant is our trade with Germany. In 1881, our shipments to Germany were over 43,000,000 of pounds, in 1882, less than 5,000,000 pounds, and in 1884, 3,249,233 pounds. The suspicion thrown over our pork by these unjust prohibitions extended to other countries. In 1880, our shipments to England were 578 million pounds; in 1882, 444 millions; in 1883, 296 millions: in 1884, 335 millions. It would be easy to figure the loss to our country from this source, but. enough has been said to demonstrate the grave importance of some action in the direction proposed; and, as representing this large and important branch of American production and industry, we respectfully and most earnestly urge immediate action by the Congress of the United States in the adoption, by legislation, of some measure substantially of the character of the bill to which we have referred. INDEX. Adjournment Administration, A New . Advances to Seamen, A Change in the Law Recommended Alcohol, Tax on. PAGE 193 4 106 169 Appropriation Bills, The Several Items to be Approved or Otherwise 172, 173 Arthur, President, Visit to Bacon, Mr. Edward P. Elected Vice-President. Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Company, Free Use of Wires Banking Act, National Bankrupt Law, A National Report of Executive Council on . Report of Special Committee on Benton, The Hon. Thomas H. Bullion Measures Bills of Lading 75, 76 19 51 11, 122-126 6, 7 50 143 Duties and Liabilities of Common Carriers under . . 20-47, 53-68 |