The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-06-14
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In the room each day.
The room OF the Committee on Agri-
culture is one OF the rooms OF the Older
part Of the Capitol and got some of the
exquisite paintings with which the Capt.
toll was decorated at first The ceiling
has allegorical Agricultural paintings Of
men and women, naked babies. flowers
fruits and grains all in rich colors soft
ened by the hand of time. Four large
photographs of blcOded cattle adOrn the
walls. q picture Of q jockey on q fine
running horse stands on bookcase. and
down the center Of the room stands the
rosewood table around which the Com
mittee gathers.
The first witness heard in the pack
house case was Mr.. Thomas E. Will
son. the Manager of the Nelson Morris
& Co. packing-houses. He stated that
before the Committee. however. he was
representing the Chicago Packers" Mr..
i The Packers Representative.
Wilson is personable man. with good
head. strong features. an insistent chin,
a nose that means business, Gibson
/ mans mouth and shoulders, and he talks
with a slight lisp. But that lisp is not
Willie-boy put on. NO-sir-ee He i'm
presses you as knowing exactly what he
wants to say and when he has finished
you feel quite sure he has said exactly
what he intended to. and you under
stand him. He declared that he is not
an attorney. Then he said:
Monday when the report Of Messrs
1 Neill and Reynolds was published, we
were. for the first time since this agita-
ton commenced. put in a position where
we could defend ourselves. owe"
means all the time in Mr.. Wilson's tes-
! timony the Chicago packers.) Much
comment had been made previous to
! the report. and, as you can readily see
now by comparison. these comments
were terribly exaggerated. Knowing
this, we refrained from answering until
we could learn what the report contain
ed and would have something definite
| to reply to. That the live stock and
| packing industries have suffered an ir-
reparable injury by the unjust and un-
warranted criticisms of the past few
| weeks l am sure 1t is unnecessary for
me to repeat to you gentlemen, who are
/ in such close touch with the agricul-
tural interest of the country. Had the
original motive been simply the obtain
| ing OF legislation to improve the inspec-
ton and sanitary conditions, then l say
| the criticisms have been doubly unjust
and unfair, for in the very inception of
! the investigation the Commission and
their superiors were given the assurance
| OF the packers cooperation, and their
personal guaranty was given that any
practical recommendations would be
welcomed and adopted.
| I'VE are now and have always been
4
ton, also to the adoption Of sanitary
regulations that will insure the very
best possible conditions. and in this con-
nection l most respectfully cell your at
| tentiOn to the recommendations OF
Messrs. Neill and Reynolds. Paragraph
VII of their report, all OF which, except
in some minor details, has the hearty
approval and support Of the packers.
| What we are opposed to, and what we
| appeal to you gentlemen for protection
| against, is bill that will put our bust
| ness In the hands of theorists, chemists,
| sOciolOgists. ETC., and the management
| and control taken away from the men
| who have devoted their lives to the up
| building and perfecting of this great
| American industry; that they have ac-
comp!ished wonders in the development
OF the business and improvements. both
sanitary and otherwise, surrounding all
methods Of handling meat-food prod
ucts is an undisputed fact. the proofs OF
which (the packing plants) are to-day,
and have been for the past Is years,
wide open to the public.
my denials Of Messrs. Neill and Rey-
| nolds's report In detail would, OF course,
simply be my opinions against theirs,
Notwithstanding my 20 years expert
| ence In the business, and on this account
and in justice to the great livestock
agricultural and packing interests OF
this country, !, in behalf Of the packers
col HCStiy uSS lHdI yOu give one week Oh
the time OF your entire Committee to
| make a personal inspection OF Chicago
and possibly other Western packing
houses. This time spent in this manner
will give you better understanding Of
the conditions and requirements than
can possibly be gained in weeks spent
In any other manner, and / feel conf
dent that we can demonstrate to your
perfect satisfaction that. contrary to the
report Of Messrs. Neill and Reynolds
the business and houses Of these large
packers are conducted in an extremely
sanitary, healthful and cleanly manner,
and that the present inspection system
conducted by the Department OF Agri-
| culture absolutely prohibits the posi-
bility OF any condemned meats entering
either domestic or foreign trade. not
withstanding the fact that the report
practically ignores this feature" Then
Mr.. Wilson grew sarcastic.
Unpleasant Features Unavoidable.
There is no question" he declared,
that the many necessary operations at
tending the slaughtering of animals, the
sight of blood and other offals, result
ing, would have very shocking effect
| on the nerves and senses OF two men
with the necessary fine sensibilities that
such men as Messrs. Neill and Reynolds
must have who have devoted their lives
to one line Of scientific or sociological
| Is made up OF, with broad and more
general experiences, will Immediately
appreciate how the conditions reported
have been exaggerated, and that the
greatest effort is made at all times to
handle the product in a clean and SAM
tary manner. We appreciate that
Messrs. 'Neill and Reynolds's expert
| ences especially equip them to recon-
mend improvements in social conditions,
and many OF the suggestions made by
| them were found to be practical and
| have already been adopted. but we also
feel that their two and One-half weeks
experience in the packing-houses does
| not equip them sufficiently to justify
your honorable body in undertaking to
| intelligently legislate on their observa.
ton alone"
Then Mr.. Wilson went after that spo-
cial report OF Messrs. Neill and Rey-
| nolds and fiayed 1t alive. He declared
that Government inspection was rigid,
and instructions obeyed-and in deny
ing specifically the various portions OF
| the special report he specified how the
information might be obtained from off,
| cial sources. He denied that diseased
animals were ever used In any OF the
| Chicago packing houses. The Govern