The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-08

Washington, June 6.-Thomas E.
Wilson, representing the Chicago
| packers, was heard by the house COM
| mittee on agriculture today, on the
| Neill-Reynolds report regarding condi-
| tons in Chicago packing houses. Mr.
Neill was present at the hearing Mr.
Wilson, who is an employe of the Mel
son Morris company, made general
denial of the existence of conditions at
the packing houses as set forth in the
! report.
|, He began by inviting the committee
| to come to Chicago and spend a week
| in personal investigation Of conditions
That, he said, would be the only way
| for members to gain a proper idea OF
! what the conditions really were Some
| OF the suggestions made in the report
| he said, had already been compiled
with by the packers, such as additional
| sanitary facilities.
He denied absolutely that there were
| any diseased cattle or hogs tbutchered
| for food. In every load of cattle or
hogs, he said, some were likely to be
dead, and some diseased The dead or
| diseased hogs and cattle were sent to
the Standard Rendering company,
which was very different institution
from the Standard Slaughtering COM
Pany, although the two were likely to
| be confused in the mind The render
ing company turned the dead ano dis
| eased meat into grease, which was
| co-product in the manufacture Of soap.
Supervision Of every branch Of the
| packing business was not objected to
| by the packers, said Mr.. Wilson The
| government may put on as many in
| spectOrS as it desires, he added, 50
long as the packers do not have to pay
| for them. He said the packing busi-
ness would be benefited by the inspee-
ton of the different branches from the
! ''hoof to can Good inspection is
! what the packers want, he declared.
In addition to the question Of who
| shall be the judge of sanitation, MIR.
| Wilson said that the only other sug-
! 81 ion made by the Neill-ReynolGs re-
Pc to which the packers would have
any Election is the requirement that
the I ! of canning be placed on all
canned articles. He said that would
serve no purpose except to injure the
| canned meat business. NATURALLY a
buyer viii choose the article with the
freshest appearance label" said Mr..
| Wilson, when as a matter of fact
the canned meat does not deteriOrate
| with age In speaking of the return
of goods he said that cOnsignments are
sometimes sent back to the shippers
because a nail has been driven through
a can in fastening up d box. This, ne
said, would cause that can to spoil and
the consignee would imagine that the
whole shipment had spoiled. Then il
is possible in rare instances for air tC
have gotten into the can, and cause il
to swell He described such cans as
''swellers,' but said there is no danger
of these ever being eaten and added
with a laugh:
Not the slightest" No one asked
him why
Would it be possible TO put in cans
meat which has begun to putrify?'
asked Chairman Wadsworth
Not unless the meat were acconpa
MED by chemicals such as it would b.
suicide to eat" replied Mr.. Wilson He
declared that the use of bad meat had
never been attempted by reputable
J packers, and that it would be suicid:
to their business. At this point re
cess was taken for luncheon
The NeiH-Reynolds report spoke o
ten deads hogs being found IN on
place, and Is or 20 III another. Mr.
Wilson said some mornings from 81. .o0'
to 900 hogs are received and tha
, frequently dead ones are found IN tn
cars. He did not think there wa
anything revolving about that
, In regard to the interior Of the worl
, rooms, Mr.. Wilson said that any per
son would be pleased with their clean
| " appearance before the days kil!in
| and dressing is begun, and that per
/ sons not used to packing rooms nigh
. be disguised with the condition Q
, the same rooms several hours late,