k— Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 9.1968
From Where
Meat Inspection
Evidence Misleading
Last year everyone was shocsed by re
ports of federal investigators that many
state-inspected meat' plants around the
country were unsanitary. News stories told
of conditions of nauseating filth and disease
that allegedly existed in some plants. The
result was predictable. A federal meat- in
spection law was passed to the accompani
ment of demands .for harsh and speedy ac
tion, most notably from the new advocates
of consumer protection who believe in Ihe
superior wisdom and rightness of central
authority in most matters.
No one appeared to question the accur
acy of the investigator’s reports. Indeed
President Johnson, in signing the new meat
inspection law, quoted a federal inspector’s
words concerning a certain meat plant
where . Beef was being broken on an
open dock, by a dirt road, in 95-degree
weather. There were flies in the meat.
Drums of bones and meat scraps were cov
ered with maggots.” With such reports ear
ned by the na'tion’s press, the states were as
helpless to present a defense as a man flee
ing before a lynch mob.
Normally, no undue significance \Vould
attach to this particular example of the ex
tension of federal authority. However, sur
prising contradictions in evidence are show
ing up that may cast the motives and
methods of federal action in the case of
meat inspection in a wholly new light More
over, they could ha\ e broad implications for
the whole issue of federal control versus
state's rights.
The weekly newspaper, The National
Observer, has been doing some checking on
meat plants m different states and reports
that, ‘'State officials are convinced that the
report cited by the President is at le'ast mis
leading and perhaps wholly false, and the
evidence they offer is convincing.” As the
Observer points out, “No one suggests that
Mr. Johnson knowingly read a false report.”
But apparently in the fervor to push a feder
al meat-inspection law through Congress,
“. . . the word went out to get evidence
any evidence.” According to the Observer,
state officials are busy pulling together “.. .
an enormous collection of reports, letters,
depositions, and other documents” to re
fute the-findings of the federal investigators.
Among the documents will be statements
branding the particular report the President
read from as an outright he. State officials
have said that the deceptive reports of fed
eral inspectors have destroyed public confi
dence that “. . . we have spent many years
in building. . .”
Farm News This Week
ASCS Signup Deadline Near Page 1
Pennsylvania To Have A
Dairy Princess In 1968 Page II
Frey, Landis, Lapp &
Rutt Head Jan. DHIA Page 10
2 FFA Banquets Were
Scheduled For Last Night Page 1
Bushong Is Elected President Of
4-H Babj Beef & Lamb Club Page 1
Soil & Water District Has
Annual Meeting Page 1
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
P O. Box 266 - Lititz, Pa 17543
Office 22 E Mam St, Lititz, Pa 17543
Phone Lancaster 394 3047 ox Lititz 626 2191
Everett R Newsv angei Editor
Robert G Campbell, Adveitisms Dnectoi
Subscuption pi ice S 2 per yeai in Lancaster
Countj S3olsewheie
Established Novembei 4 1955
Published eveiy Satuiday by Larcastei
Faimmg Lititz Pa
Second Class Postage paid at Lititz Pa
17543
Member of Newspaper Farm Editors Assn
We Stand ...
In Kansas, the Food and Drug Director,
charged with administering hi s state's
meat-inspection laws, accuses the federal
inspectors of forcing their way illegally into
some Kansas plants. One federal report
called attention to an allegedly unsanitary
meat plant in Colorado. Colorado officials
said the plant had been closed for at least 18
months before the time the report was pre
sumably written. Other state officials as
sert that federal authorities tried to intimi
date them, or used deception to gain their
cooperation. A Florida official says that in
sinuations and innuendoes of bad conditions
were lifted out of context and used by news
paper columnists and others “. . . to sup
port a shotgun charge that all Florida meat
plants are filthy unless federally inspect
ed ”
The average citizen cannot be blamed
for being more than a little confused by the
conflicting evidence concerning the purity
ot one of the most important items in the
family diet. Even more bewildering is the
possibility that federal authorities might
have used less than ethical methods to help
push through a federal law. The case of the
meat-inspection law may become a classic
illustration of the arrogance of power and
the wisdom of safeguarding state’s rights.
★ ★ ★ ★
A Sign Of Weakness
There is a Latin expression argu
mentum ad hominem which applies to
much current acrimonious debate. The ex
pression means argument to the man, or in
plain English, drawing attention away from
the mam issues by indulging in personali
ties and vilification.
It is a poor substitute for logic and fre
quently indicates an attempt to gain by ap
pealing to emotion and prejudice that which
cannot be supported by reason and fact
This may explain why extremists of every
stripe like to muddy up the waters with a
lot of abusive language. Such tactics are a
sure sign of weakness m the thinking pro
cesses.
We saw this happen the other week at
the all-day milk hearing before the Penn
sylvania Milk Control Commission when the
lawyer for the milk dealers tried to discredit
the Lancaster County Farmers Association
representative.
At least that’s the way -it looks from
where we stand.
Across The Fence Row
It is the business of the future to be
dangerous. Alfred North Whitehead
Credit is when one person who can’t
pay, gets another person who can’t pay to
guarantee that he can pay.
Many teen-agers today just go ahead
and marry, expecting their folks to be good
supports about it.
A woman patient asked her doctor,
"Can 3 r ou tell me why I’m seized with
these restless longings for the glamorous
and faraway?”
“My dear lady,” replied the wise
doctor, “they are the usual symptoms of
too much comfort in the home and too
much ingratitude in the heart ”
Capper’s Weekly
Weather Forecast
The forecast calls for temperatures to
a\erage abote normal for the five-day
pciiccl Saturday through next Wednesday.
The dauime high is expected to be about
oJ and cnei-mght lows in the low 30's No
maiked day to day change The noimal
high-low range is 48 - 29.
Rain may total less than one-fourth
inch as showers over the late weekend and
again at the end of the period.
HOW FAR?
become Just an interesting pU£>
sophlcat question. He left ns
doubt as to what be intended:
•»ch*«unJ Striated Jahn )2 onl 13, "even 83 I have loved VOlk. that
DauatianalKaWi,,: y ou also love one anotherVlbS
Nothing is more sobering to a questions of "how much love?**
preacher than the knowledge that "what kind of love?*, etc. were
he usually "talks a far better taken care of by that one yard*
game than he plays.” He is aware stick he gave for measurement)
mat the moral dimensions of his "even as I have loved you,., •
preaching and teaching must go The love of Jesus was some*
beyond the limitations of his own thing which they had already ex*
accomplish- perienced in so many ways. Yet
meats. Thus he he did not rely upon their memo*
can hardly help ties of the past, but instead gave
saying in effect: them a new example that pin
"Do as I say, not ppint die meaning of his 1 com
as 1 do,” al-mand in dramatic form for the
though actually rest of their lives: he "girded him*
it is not "as I self with a towel.. . poured wa
say,” but as the ter into a basin, and began to
Word of God in-wash the disciples’ feet” (John
•»_, Aithnnn* etructs us. 13:4-5 HSV). His preaching and
ltcv * The minister his practice were a single, indivis*
who holds up himself as the mod- able message,
el to which the people should-. .. .. ..
aspire is both thinking too highly TUB LllTUtßtlOnS
of himself and pointing his people What was he teaching them?
at too low a target. He may Was he merely commandingthem
rightly strive to "practice what he to practice foot-washing? No, he
preaches,” but he ought to aim was giving them "an example” of
higher than "preaching what he the love which was implicit in his
practices.” command to “love one another.”
This love he demonstrated was
Tnß Message not a mushy sentiment (washing
This is true of any Christian, dirty feet is guaranteed to keep
particularly the Christian parent, us from sentimentality!). It was
He ought to strive to set die best nothing they deserved or had a
example possible, but not forget right to expect of him. It was
it is Christ himself who sets the something done to them (not nec
example we need. Just as we our-essarily fdt toward them), not be
selves ought to be continually cause they were "lovable,” or be
dissatisfied with our level of spir- cause Jesus fdt "loving.” No, de
itual and moral growth, so we spite their unworthiness, he hum
need also to point our children to bled himself, doing whathedidn’t
a level that is ever higher thanhave to do, performing some
the one on which we stand. thing he owed to no one.
With. Jesus, however, it was If he, the Christ, could humble
different. He not only had a mes-himself to undeserving, unlovable
sage for his people, he was themen, his disciples were to respond
message. He was the embodiment with no less a love than that,
of the Good News he brought the ’'And how far should such-love
incarnation of all to which he ex-be expected to go?” we
horted his followers. His preach-ing for some "sensible”limitation,
ing and practice were all cut from "As far as he did,” comes the un
the same bolt of cloth. To do settling, though not unexpected,
what he said was nothing more answer: "As far as Calvary!”
or less than to emulate what he (( . lnl , u(UnM CMyr!shl * by d„,w.„
diu. «F Chmhan Etlucahan, Nahanal C.uncil oMha
We see this at work in his last church., .( chn«i m ih. u, s. a. x.i«u,o4 by
evening with his disciples. It is Cammumty Pm, Same*.)
his plan to give them a "new”
commandment: “that you love
Lesson for March 10,1968
To Make Straight Plans should be made far the
Alfalfa Seedings .... chemical control of the weevil
Forage producers who are in- „ ~
either before or after removing
terested in getting a quick stand , ,
, „ , the first crop A leaflet i« avail
of alfalfa should consider the -if ~ „ ,
able from the Extension Office
making of an early spring seed-
mg of straight alfalfa this prac To Top-Dress Winter Grains .. .
tice is becoming more popular The extent of the winter in
and will give ses eral cuttings jury to winter wheat and barley
this year with fasorable weath- 1S yet to be determined: the e\-
er conditions The important tremely dry condition of the top
thing is to make the seeding in sol i could hurt many stands
March or early April, control The use of a nitrogen fertilizer
weeds by spraying and to use application on these areas when
the band seeding method warm weather arrives and veg-
To Plan ior Alfalfa -etative giowth begins, will help
Insect Control _.. bn ?S the P lants quicker and m
% , jsrease yields; however, it the
Few changes nave been made p (ants are dead, or a large per
m the recommendations for the centage kllled> then the field
control of alfalfav.eeul the f pre- , s , hlc Jy be planted t 0 another
fe-ired msecucide is methyl par- cro p The extra fertilize! on
athion au the ime ol :-pound of w h ea t (especially Redcoat) has
d p tU f/ pei f Cl£ ; stand ® given good increases m yield
of alfalfa that aie healths and -
well fertilized are suonglv rec-
ommended m older to get rapid Let us endeavor so too lave
giowth in the spring and to grve that, when we come too die,even
rank second and third cuttings the undertaker will be •sooty.
one another” (John .13:34). Oh
yei, THAT commandmentl
That’* the ONE with which we
have eo much trouble and ficus*
tration. What do you mean by
"love,” Jeaus, and how Is It pos
sible in a world like this? Aren’t
Sou asking for something beyond
ic grasp of we ordinary folk?
The Example
Jesus, however, did not intend
for his "new” commandment to
NOW IS
THE TIME...
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent