The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-06-07
PROBING THE
BEEF COMBINE
House Committee on Agricul-
ture Hear Criticisms.
WILSON ON NELL REPORT
Denies Many Thing Claimed TO be
RevO'tins.,NO UnwhOIesOme
Conditions in Houses.

WASHINGTON, June e At the
meat inspection hearing DR. Melvin.
chief of the bureau of autnal industry
was aS\Nj lA,bei ri u.stions con
corning ante,nortem examinations of
cattle bought by packing houses. lie
explained that these examinations
were all conducted in the stOckyards.
He was asked if ne believed amy dis
eased meat was put on the market in
any form, but he would not express an
opinion. He explained in detail the
disposition of diseased cattle through
the stock exchange, but said no such
precautions were taken concerning 9th
er animals.
Il. Il. Wilson. Chicago packer, took
up the Neill-Reynolds report, comment
ing on many OF the criticisms Con
corning the condition Of the animal
pens, he said that floors were properly
drained TO permit of flushing AS often
as needed and he asserted that was
done The NeillReynolds report spoke
Of ten dead hogs being found in one
place and fifteen or twenty in another
Mr.. Wilson said some mornings from
$4,000 to 10000 hogs are received and
that frequently dead ones are found
in the cars. He did not think there
was anything ''revolting" about that.
In regard to the interior Of the work
rooms. Mr. Wilson said that any person
would be pleased with their clearly
appearance before the days killing and
dressing is begun and that persons not
used to packing houses might be dis
gusted with the condition of the same
room several hours later. He contend
ed. however. that there were no I'M
wholesome conditions there Every
day. he said all rooms. tables. trucks
and utensils of all kinds are washed as
clean as water and scrubbng brush
can make them
Reading about the man with dirty
apron and dirty clothes who had no
means of cleaning his hands except to
wipe them on his dirty clothes and
that there was no water in the room
he said it would be impossible for an
apron to look clean after being worn
for twenty minutes
The only dyes used were those to col
Or the casing of the sausage and not
for meats.
AS to the character of the employees.
Mr.. Wilson denied that they were the
refuse of humanity or that the recent
strike had made any change Ninety
five per cent of those employed since
/ that strike were union men
II think" he said, that the people
/ in the stockyards are more than the
ayeragea healthy class There are
very few cases of tuberculosis. per
/ haps some who do not know IT,"
Representative Scott asked if Mr..
/ Wilson had ever investigated packing
houses abroad
He had in England, but said Ameri-
Fan methods were far superior.
Have you had any difficulty prior to
this agitation with your foreign mar
ketsy' asked Mr.. Scott.
I'VE are having great deal of trou-
bic now" replied the witness.
Asked again about times prior to the
present agitation he mentioned that
some trouble was had with Germany,
but he did not regard this based on
the quality OF American meats.
There would be no objection, Mr.
Wilson said, to a sanitary regulation
as strong as practicable. He admitted
ucts did not describe the article As al
example. he said his firm sold COX
ford" sausage, which was pork sau
sage sold under the name oxford.
Another article named Brown" was
simnlv "a hppf STOW