The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-06-13
FILTH And DIRT.
Horrible Exposure Made in Re-
port to the President
AS TO MEAT 2 PACKING.
How Food is Prepared :or the Free BoEi
American citizen-EmpIoyes' Feet
Clad il Dirty Shoes Climb into
anG Besmear Meat They
Prepare for Shipm Mt.

anG Besmear Meat They
Prepare for Shipm Mt.
Sometime ago President Roosevelt
appointed N >ssrs. J. B. Rsync;ds anS
G. P. Nesll to examine tae methods in
use at the great packing houses in
Chicago and elsewhere. B,lc9 We
publish some extracts from their Re.
port:
Tue President: As directed by yHN,
we investigated the conditions j. tbs
principal establishments in Ch:=asf
engaged in the slaughter OF c2ssls'
shesp and hogs, ana in the p.epsra
tton of dressed meat aud meat Oh
products. Two and hsif weeks were
spent in the Investigation IN Cdlcago,
and during this time We went through
the principle packing houses n tie
stock yar6s district, together with 8
few OF the smaller ones. a day was
spent by Mr. Reynolds in New YORK
city in tae Investigation statements
of conditions srd practices in the
packing houses, together with shas-
Wits snG documentary evidence, were
offered US from numsrous Scusces.
Most Of these we're rel .cted as eeiag
far from proving tie fAcos alleged aad
IS being beyond the possibility Ct yer
ifcstion by US. We have made no
statement as q fact in the report here
presented thai was not verified by our
personal exa ninatiol. Certain mat
tsrs which We were unable to verify
while in Chicago are still uoder ioVss'
tigation. The following is, therefore,
submitted as q partial report touch,
ing upon those practices and coOoi-
tions which we found most COMMON
an3 not confined to sing's house OF
class Of houses. A more detailed re.
port would contain many specific IL
stances Of defects found in particular
houses.
Before entering the buildings We
noted the condition Of the yards them
selves as shown in the pavement, pen,
viaducts aud platforms. TIE pave
ment is mostly OF brick, the bricks
laid with deep grooves between them,
which inevitably fill with manure and
refuse. The pens are generally IN
covered, except those for sheep, these
latter are paved and covered. The
visducts and platforms sre Of wood.
Calves, sheep and hogs that have died
en- route sre thrown out upon the
platforms, where cars are unloaoeo.
On single plstform on one occasion
we counted Is dead hogs, on the next
10 dead hogs. The only excuse given
for delsy in removal was that so often
hearG-the expense.
BUILDINGS.
Materisl.-The interior faish OF
mcst OF the buildings is OF wcoo; the
partition walls, supports and ra!ters
sre OF wood, uncovered by plaster or
: cement. The flooring in some in
stances Is CT BRICK or cement, but
usually OF wood. In many Of the
rooms where water Is usei freely the
floors are soaked and Shiny.
Llghting.-Tns buildings have been
constructed with little regard to either
light OF 7entilstion. The work rooms
as 6 rule, are very poorly lighted. A
few rooms at the top Of the buildings
are well lighted because they caE2-ot
escape the light. but most OF she
rooms are so dark as to make as.licia.
light necessary at sll tines. M:DE
inside roomsEhere food is p1aparsc
are without windows, deprived oc sur-
light and without direct connuaica-
tton with the outside air. They nay
be bsss described as vaults in Thlca
the sir rarely changes. Other rooms
which open to the outer air are so
large, the windows 50 clc1de5 by DIRT
ana the walls and ceilings SO DARK and
dingy that natural light only psne
trates twenty CT Thirty feet fro9 ice
windows. thus making art!icia! ltstt
In portions CT even these outside
rooms necessary. These dark AID
dingy looms are naturally not kept
suitably clean.
Observation-Disclosures Valtils-
tion Of the work roons is not found
In any OF the establishments we visit
ed. In few instances electric fans
mitigate the sitting air, but usually
the workers toll without relief il s
humid atmosphere, heavy with the
odors Of rotten wood, deca7ed meats,
stinking offsl aad entrsils.
Equipneut.-The work tables upon
Whlco the mest Is handled, tie hoor
carts on which it is carried about and
the tubs and other recep*scles Into
which it is thrown are generally OF
wood. In ali the places visited but q
single po1calsin-liaed receptacle vas
seen. Tables covered with shest iron,
iron carts and i1oa tuos are being 10
troduced into tie better establish
ments, but no establishment visited
has as yet abandoned the extensive
use Of wooden tables and wooden re-
ceptacles. These wooden receptacles
s,e frequently found water soaked,
only halt cles sed, and with meat
scraps and grease accunulations ad-
hearing to their sides and collecting
dirt. This is largely true OF meat
racks and meat conyeYors CT every
soru, which were in nearly al cases
inadcq1ately c!eacsed, and grease and
meat scraps we're found adhering to
them, even sfter they had been wash
ed and returned to service.
Sanitary Conyeniences. Nothing
shows more strikingly the general iu-
difference to matters OF cleanliness
and sanitation tsan do the privies for
both men and women. The prevail
ing type is made By cutting Of Sec
tion Of the work room by q thin wooi.
en- partition, rising TO within few
feet OF the ceiling. These privies
ncro1]v venti1ata into the Snrk rncr