The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-10
THE COURT OF INQUIRY
Has Begun It's Investigations in
Chicago.
PACKING HOUSES VISITED
The Methods of Inspection in Vogue at
the Yards-No Testimony Will
Be Taken Before
Saturday.

Chicago, March 9-The court of in
quiry to examine the beef question to-
day began it's work in this city where
are located the plants of the packers
which held the contracts for supplying
the army with animal food. Two of the
members, Brigadisr General George w.
Davis and Lieutenant Colonel George
K. Davis, the judge advocate and re-
corder reached here Wednesday night.
and the other two members, Major Gen
eral James w. Wade and Brigadier
General Gillespie. arrived this morning.
the army headquarters in the Pullman
building, and it resulted in decision
to defer the taking of testimony until
after an inspection had been made of
the packing houses at the stock yards
where the refrigerator beef and canned
beef are prepared
The court began in the killing room.
They next visited the cooling room
Here We're found several halves of beer,
which had been condemned. either be-
cause the beef was badly bruised or
gave evidence that the animal had had
tuberculosis The condemned beef had
been placed by itself. and while the
court was present men came in to re-
move it to the rendering tanks. prepar-
atory to making it into fertilizer. The
court examined these tanks carefully.
From there the court was taken to the
one in which the meat is prepared for
canning, and saw the men at work cut
ting up the meat. The next room Wis
tied was the canning department.. The
meat to be canned was brought in in
huge cauldrons, placed on a platform
and put into cans by machinery, the
cans removed and sealed, only a pin
hole being left open in the top. Next
the cans were put under an iron tank,
where they We're subjected to heat of
$50 degrees-the sterilizing process.
While the court was in this room a
number of cans of roast beef which had
an old appearance, and which it was
said had been in Porto Rico. We're open
ed The meat inside was good. and the
members of the court tasted it. Suisse
quently the court was shown through
the printing, packing and other
branches. Barring the killing room,
everything about the establishment was
very clean.
After leaving the yards the court went
to the bureau of animal industry-a
branch of the agricultural department
and obtained some information from
w. S. Devoe, who is in charge. They
read the law governing the inspection
of animals and inquired as to the de-
tails of theA work of inspection. In
Spectors are stationed in the yards pro-
per, and they condemn any diseased
cattle they see. The inspectors at the
packing houses supplement their work
by examining the carcasses after
slaughter. and threw out any bearing
evidence of pulmonary trouble.
Tomorrow morning the court will go
to the stock yards, and spend the entire
day there in going over three other
packing houses. 1t is not likely that
any testimony will be taken before Sat
urday morning. 1t is quite likely that
the evidence taken will be confined to
that of the foreman or workmen who
have personal knowledge of the pre-
paration of refrigerated beef and
canned roast beef for consumption.