Mahlon Pitney

“ The plain object of the clause is to safeguard the food products in question against alteration or substitution, and thus enable the officials of the government to systematize and render effective the process of inspection; an object that is interfered with if the tags or other identification devices are destroyed, whether they be destroyed by those engaged in the business or by others. Moreover, one of the other prohibitions of the act is in terms limited to those engaged in the interstate commerce of meat or meat food products. ”

“ That for the purposes hereinbefore set forth the Secretary of Agriculture shall cause to be made by inspectors appointed for that purpose an examination and inspection of all meat food products prepared for interstate or foreign commerce in any slaughtering, meat-canning, salting, packing, rendering, or similar establishment, and for the purposes of any examination and inspection said inspectors shall have access at all times, by day or night, whether the establishment be operated or not, to every part of said establishment ”

“ That any person, firm, or corporation, or any officer or agent of any such person, firm, or corporation, who shall violate any of the provisions of this act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished on conviction thereof by a fine of not exceeding ten thousand dollars, or imprisonment for a period not more than two years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. ”