This Department concurs in Mr. Brigham’s views, of which you will make
such use as you may find appropriate and deem advisable.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Brigham to
Mr. Hay.
Department of Agriculture, October 5, 1899.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge, with
thanks, the receipt of your letter of the 23d ultimo, inclosing for
the information of this Department copies of two
[Page 735]
dispatches, Nos. 100 and 102, from the
United States minister at Stockholm relative to the exportation of
meat from the United States to Norway.
I note in the minister’s dispatch of August 28, 1899, No. 100, that
the board of health of Christiania, before making a final decision
on the question of accepting the certificates and meat inspection
stamps of the Government or the United States without authentication
by the Swedish-Norwegian consul at the port of shipment, desires to
know if all the inspectors of the Department of Agriculture are
veterinary surgeons, and if this is the case, the board wishes to
receive from the Department, through our consul at Christiania, a
list “à tenir à jour” of the inspectors in question, accompanied by
a facsimile of their signatures.
This Department is pleased to observe that the minister has informed
the minister of foreign affairs that the meat inspectors of this
Department are all veterinarians, and that the inspection is
thorough and complete under the laws of the United States and the
regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture.
As to the second point, this Department is not disposed to furnish a
list of inspectors accompanied by a facsimile of their signatures
for the use of the board of health of Christiania for the
authentication of the certificates, first, because these
certificates are issued by this Government and bear the signature of
the Secretary of Agriculture, and are only countersigned by the
inspectors. There is no reason to suppose that these certificates
are counterfeited or are likely to be, and it appears to this
Department that they should be accepted without the minute
investigation implied in this request of the board of health of
Christiania. In other words, it appears to be a reflection upon this
Government to make a request which indicates a suspicion that meat
is being sent from the United States under Government certificates
which has not been properly inspected or which is covered by a false
certification. I leave it to your Department, of course, to decide
to what extent it is advisable to try to impress this idea upon the
Swedish-Norwegian Government.
The second objection to furnishing such a list of inspectors is that
the Department has now about 200 of such officials, and it would be
no small undertaking to get up a list with a facsimile of their
signatures attached, especially if this should be considered a
precedent by other countries and such a list be frequently asked
for. If the local boards of health of every foreign city should
decide that they must be supplied with such a list it would mean a
great deal of unnecessary trouble and expense.
Moreover, the force of inspectors is naturally frequently changed.
Not only are the men shifted around from one position to another,
according to the exigencies of the service, but some are dropping
out and others are being added. This would make it necessary to send
a weekly bulletin to such foreign authorities as wished to verify
the inspectors’ signatures.
Further, it appears to this Department that there would frequently be
question as to whether the signature of any inspector corresponded
sufficiently with the facsimile sent abroad to be received as the
signature of the same man. This would at least furnish an additional
excuse, where it was desired, for holding up American meats for a
sufficient time to have experts compare the signatures, causing
great embarrassment and loss to shippers.
The more this request is considered the more it appears to be unusual
in its character, unnecessary, and undesirable to comply with.
I have, etc.,
J. H. Brigham, Acting Secretary.
