The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-06-07
PRESIDENT GIVES
OUT MEAT REPORT
Transmits to Congress State
ments Of Reynolds and Nei!I
on Packing Houses.
CONDITIONS FRIGHTFUL
Flesh for Food Is ShoveIed from
Shiny Floor-Rooseveit Asks for
Inspection Law-Tax on AMI
mails for the Expense.

Washington, d. c.. June 6.-Chair-
man Wadswort of the house COM
mittee on agriculture made this
prediction to the Associated Press
today:
enacted which will insure the con-
sumcr meat fit to be eaten
When the speaker laid before the
house President Roosevelt's mes
sage and summary investigation
made by Neill and Reynolds great
interest was displayed by members;
It's reading was closely followed and
at its conclusion there was a show
OF applause which was instantly
checked by the speaker referring
the document and accompanying
papers to the committee on agrlcul-
ture. .
Washington, D.. c., June 6.-President
Roosevelt today transmitted to con-
gress the much talked of reports of
Special commissioners Reynolds and
Neill of their investigation into the con-
dition of the stock yards and packing
houses of Chicago.
The revelations are fully as bad as
the advanced statements indicated.
Pointing out the impossibility under ex-
listing law to secure the needed relief
the president urges congress to enact a
measure which will "in the interest of
decency" change the revolving condi-
lions. He advises that a tax on the
condemned animals be levied as a
means for paying for his added inspec-
ton which will be carried on by the
government.
The president in his message to con-
gress said:
Urgent Need of inspection.
800. ,-1 IIo,eo of por-oSop+o-
tlves: [ transmit herewith the reporter MIR.
James Bronson Reynolds and Commission
or Charles P. Neill, the special committee
whom I appointed to investigate into the
conditions in the stock yards of Chicago
and report thereon to me. This report is
Of a preliminary nature. | submit 1t 70
Of immediate action by the congress in the
direction of providing a drastic and thor
ough-going inspection by the federal gov
rnmcn of all stoCkyards and packing
houses and of their product so far as the
latter enter into interstate or foreign com
merce. The conditions shown by even this
short inspection to exist in the Chicago
stock yards are revolving. 1t is 1mpera-
lively necessary in the interest Of decency
that they should be radically changed. I'm
der the existing law it is wholly impossible
to secure satisfactory results.
When First Action Was Taken.
When my attention was first directed to
the matter an investigation was made by
the bureau OF animal industry of the de-
paTCmenI OIL agriculture. "ltIl Lie PlN-
liminary statements Of this investigation
were trough to my attention., they
showed such defects in the law and such
wholly unexpected conditions that I
deemed it best to have a further immedi-
ate investigation by men not connected
with the bureau, and accordingly appoint
cd Messrs. Reynolds and Neill. 1t was
impossible under the existing law that sat
isfactory work should be done by the bu-
reau of animal industry. am now. how
ever, examining the way in which the
work 3CtllallV was DONE.
Before I had received the report OF
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill I had directed
that labels placed upon any package or
meat food products should state only that
the carcass of the animal from which the
meat was taken had been inspected at the
time Of slaughter. II inspection Of meat
food products at all stages Of ton,
is not secured by the passage Of legisla,,
ton recommended, shall feel compelled
to order that inspection labels and certifi-
Gates on canned PRODUCTS shall not be used
hereafter.
Not Even Reasonably Clean.
TIL report shows that the stock yards
and packing, houses are not kept ever
reasonably clean, and that the method OF
preparing and handling food products is
uncleanly and dangerous to health. Under
existing law the national government haE
forms of prepared meat foods, products
that are daily going from the packing
houses into interstate commerce.
Owing to an inadequate appropriation
the department of agriculture is not ever
able to place inspectors in all establish
ments desiring them" The present law
prohibits the ~hipnent of uninspecteC
meat to foreign countries, but there is nc
provision prohibiting the shipment of un'
inspected meats into interstate commerce
thus the avenues Of interstate commerce
arc left open to traffic in diseased Oh
spoiled meats. If. as has been alleged or
seemingly good authority, further evils eX
tst, such as the improper use of chemical
and dyes the government lacks power
to remedy them.
spectors OF the general government to in
speCt and supervise from the hoof 20 thu
can the preparation of the meat food pro
duct. The evil seems much less in tn
sale of dressed carCasSeS than i'll the sal
of AIMED and other prepared products.
Animals Must Pay Expense.
In my judgment the expenses OF the IN
spection should be paid BY fee levied OF
each animal SLAUGHTERED. II ms is no
done the whole purpose of the law can a
any time be defeated through an lnsuffl
cicnt appropriation and whenever ther
was no particular public interest IN IN
ural thus to make the Appropriation inSul
ficient. If it were not for this considera
ton L would favor the government payini
for it.
The alarm expressed in certain quarter
concerning this feature should be ailaye'
case, under such a law. VIII the cost Of in
spection exceed 5 cents per mead.
/ call special attention to the fact tina
TINS report Is preliminary. ana tilit ~
investigation is still unfinished. 1t IS no
vet possible to report on the ailese
abuses in the use of deletcrious chen-ca
compounds in connection with canning an,
preserving meat products, nor on the al
legged doctoring in this fashion Of tainttc
meat and of products returned to IN
packers as having grow uns2leable or uI
disable from age or from othcr, reasons
Grave allegations are made III reference [
abuses of this nature.
Nc Law to Stop Abuses.
Let me repeat that under the, prescf
law there practically % no method OF SOY
ping these abuses if they should be dE:
covered to exist. Legislation is needed !
order to prevent the possibility of a
abuses in the future. If no legislation
passed, then the excellent results accom-
plished by the work of tbs special con
mittee will endure only SO long as II
memory Of the committees work is fres
and recrudescence of the abuses is abs
lutcly certain.
-. 1 l;rna tho IN, med La to nnnHtn1Cnt into Is