Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-10
WAR COMMISSION HEARS PACKING
HOUSE MANAGERS.
HOW CATTLE ARE BUTCHERED
MATTERS OF INTEREST EXPLAINED
IN GREAT DETAIL.
Bulk of Testimony Before War Inves-
tigntion Commission Goes to
Show Refrigerated Meats
Are Pure Mr.. Swift
Before the Board.

general superintendent of Swift & Co., OF
Chicago appeared before the war investi-
CATION commission to-day. The witness
said he, had general charge of all the pack
ing. canning and slaughtering of cattle for
the Chicago plant and gave a general ac-
count of the practical working of the meat
business. He said that all the cattle Were
bought from commission firms at the stock
yards and there given an ante-mortem in
spection by government officials and then
driven to the abattoir, being well cooled be-
fore killing. Il skinning gang Of 40 men,
he said, would butcher about 12O cattle an
hour. The cattle were then subjected to Il
post morten examination, also by govern
ment inspectors, who examined the lungs.
liver and intestines. The company had had
as mary as twenty cattle week condemn
ed at this inspection, being about twenty
out Of g0JO The condemnation was mostly
due to tuberculosis.
The condemned animals are tagged by
the government inspector and the carcass
goes to the refuse tank where the only use
made of it is to take the grease for lueri-
eating purposs and the remainder for fer
ttlizers. The good meat is stamped by the
government inspector and certified for the
market.
Witness said he had personally supervised
the loading of 200 900 pounds of beef shipped
at Newport News on the Massachusetts, in
July for Porto Rico, 100000 in August on
the Manitoba from the same point for
Porto Rico, and q large consignment in
the middle of July on the steamship Missis-
sippi, Port Tampa to Cuba, and that all
these beef shipments had been in excellent
condition.
How Beef Is Shipped.
The beef is cooled for forty-eight hours
before shipping, the temperature being run
down gradually from 45 to S6 or IS degrees.
The shipping cars are thoroughly washed
and aired between each shipment and are
cooled by ice and salt. The temperature in
the cars is from 80 to Sc. Export beef is
inclosed in cheesecloth bag to keep it
clean and to prevent chatting. There are
icing stations every twenty-four hours On
each railroad shipping line and the cars are
reiced that often. The witness said diff
ferent cities took different grades of beef.
Boston demanded the best beef in the coun-
try and Baltimore about the cheapest.
New York stood between the two. Part
of the beef ordered by the government
during the war was sent from Kansas
City, although most of 1t was from Chi
cago. The contract with the government
called for the best fat steers. not less than
600 pounds, for dressed carcass. These
specifications were compiled with.
Referring to the much discussed beard
on the refrigerator meat, Mr.. Wilder said
the large wholesalers who supplied the
best hotels in Chicago, 'aged" all their
beef before selling it and got an advanced
he said the meat was better in every re-
spect after being aged. As to complaints
regarding the army contract beef, he said
the Manitoba shipment was the only one
condemned Skinned
was not thrown overheard till September
Is. Witness had been in the export bus-
ness. ten years and in the Liverpool and
London trade. where the beef was from
ten to. eighteen days in transit, he had
never lost one quarter of beef. Witness
denied that any chemicals were used in
firm and said that in. addition to other
objections it would be useless. would be a
detrinfent to the beef and an extra ex-
pense The beef for export was not the
best beef, but fair quality. DR.. Connor
sought to bring out how they determined
in half minute whether beef is or is
not. or has been, tubercular. Colonel Den
by, presiding. objected that the govern
responsible. All right" concluded DR..
Connorss Il will wait to examine the gov
ernment' of the United States"
Edwin Buckingham, fur eighteen years
employed In the stock yards of Swift & Co..
also testified the beef was absolutely pure
and had never to his knowledge been chem
ically treated. He said all the beef fur
nished for the war was in good condition;
that his duty was to supervise preparation
for shipment and that beef, after reaching
him. had not been treated in any way-and
nothing was done save to cut 1t up. John
j. Murphy. who supervises the handling
of the refrigerator cars and for fifteen
years has been an employe of Swift &, Co.,
testified to the same general effect.
Horace c. Gardner, a veteran emploEe
ment, testified that he had examined a
number of transports carrying the refrig-
Grated beef and had seen none that could
be at all questioned.
The government inspectors of the beef at
Chicago, 1t is likely, will be summoned by
the commission.
In Regard to Ammonia.
Mr.. Gardner then went into detailed
description of the ammonia refrigerating
plant. He explained that the ammonia
merely furnished cold air to keep the meat
at proper temperature. The ammonia did
not come in contact with the meat or af-
feet 1t in any way.
AS to the keeping properties of cefrig-
Grated meat, he said that, in his opinion,
meat was at Its best after three Weeks in
the cooler. 1t would remain at its best for
perhaps ten days longer after which grad
ual deterioration set in.
Il do not wish to be understood, how
ever said he, that three weeks plus ten
days is the longest that meat will keep in
cold storage. l have known 1t to keep goo6
much longer than that. l will simply say
loses something of its power of resisting
decay after being taken out of cold stor-
age"
other beef company employees that chem
icals were used in the preservation of the
company's meat. Asked If he had ever
in refrigerated meat before the present .gi-
tation began. Mr.. Gardner replied that
about fourteen years ago. when Chicago
dressed beef was first introduced into New
Eastern there
the same talk of chemicals and "embalmed
beef" This prejudice had been overcome,
and now at least three-fourths of all the
meat used In New York and other large
Eastern cities was refrigerator beef.
Charles d. Barry, one of Swift & Co. S
travelling salesmen, who was in Washing
ton last summer making contracts with the
government for meat, was called; He de-
scribed at some length the method of max
ing bids and securing contracts with the
war department, but he knew nothing CT
the character OF the meat furnished eX-
cept that 1t corresponded to the specifica-
tionS In the contracts.
Mr.. Swift Testifes.
G. +. Swift. the head of the firm of Swift
& Co., of Chicago, was the next witness.
Mr.. Swift. at the request of the commits
sion went into general description of the
beef business from the time the cattle
reached the stock yards till they landed
in the retail butcher shops. This. tesd-
mony had been largely anticipated by the
recital of his superintendent, Mr.. Wilder,
earlier in the day.
As to the export business of this COM
pany. Mr.. Swift said they killed approXi-
mately 125. coo 900 head annually, and of this
over s., 800 900 pounds was exported to Lon
don and Liverpool. amounting in value to
66S5. IA The quality of beef sent to Cuba
and Porto Rico. he said, was just about
the quality demanded by the New York
trade.
Regarding chemicals. Mr.. Swift said most
positively he had never used them in all