Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Washington. June 4.-President
Roosevelt today transmitted {" Con
gress the following message conccru-
ing the conditions in the stock yards
of Chicago together with the report Of
the special committee of investigation.
James Brownson Reynolds and Com
missioner Charles T. Neill:
The Senate and House Of Representa-
tiveS:
| transmit herewith The report of
Mr. James Bronson Reynolds and Com
missioner Charles T. Neil. the special
committee whom | appointed to in
veStigatc into the conditions III the
stock yards Of Chicago and report
thereon to me. This report is Of a pre-
liminary nature. I submit it to you
now because it shows the urgent need
of immediate action by the Congress in
the direction of providing a drastic and
thoroughgoing inspection by the Fed
eral government Of all stock yards and
packing houses and Of their products,
50 far as the latter enter into Interstate
or foreign commerce. Tie conditions
shown by even this short inspection to
exist ia the Chicago stock yards are re-
voting. It is inlpcratively necessary
in the interest Of health and of l"-
ccnry that they should he radically
changed. Under the existing law it is
wholly Impossible to secure satisfac-
tory results.
whoa my attention was first directed
to this matter an investigation was
made under the Bureau Of Animal In
duStrv Of the Department Of ACricul-
ture. When the preliminary state
mentS of this invest iGatiou We're
brought to my attention they showed
such defects in the law and such Who'll
" unexpected conditions that deemed
it hest t" have a further immediate
investigation by men not connected
with the bureau. and accordingly ap-
pointed Mossrs. Reynolds and Ncil.
1t was inpossihl" under tn" existing
law that satisfactory work should be
done by the Bureau Of Animal Indus
try. am now. however. examining
the way IN which the work actually
was done
BEFORE had received the report If
McsSrs. Reynolds and N"ill had di
rectcd that labels placed upon any
package of meat food products Should
state only that the carcass Of the ami
| had 5ecn inspected AT the time Of
slaughter. IF inspection of meat food
products at all stages of preparation is
not secured by the passage of the IcgiS-
lati"n recommended shall feel COM
PEELED to order that inspection labels
and certificates M canned products
shall not II" used hereafter.
Tn" report shows that the stock
Yards and packing houses are NOT kept
oven reasonably cl"an. and that the
! method Of handling and preparing food
~ oducts is unclcaHlv and dangerous to
| hnllth. Under existing law the Ma
! tinral government has u" power to on
| force inspection Of tn" many forms Of
prepared meat foods products that are
| daily going from the packing houses
| int" interstate" commerce. Owing to an
| inadequate appropriation the De
| nartmrnt Of Agriculture IS not even
| able - place inspectors in all "Stab-
| ishmenis desiring them. The present
| law prohibits the shipment Of unin-
spe"tnd meat to foreign countries hut
there is no provision forbiddinC the
shipment Of uninSpcrtcd meats in inter
state commerce. ana thus the avenues
| of Interstate "oInmcrco ar" left omen to
TIA ffiC in diseased or spoiled meats IT,
Is has been alleged on seemingly good
authoritv further evils exist such as
tn" proper MS of chemicals and dyes
tile government lack; poncr II remedy
| them. a law is needed which will en-
| able IN" inspectors Of the general
government to inspect and supervise
| from the hoof to the can the p,epara-
| tion Of the meat food product The
e'i s. en- to lc much loss in the sale
Of dressed carcasses than in the sale
Of canned and other prepared products.
and very much less as regards pro-
ducts sent abroad than as regards
those used at home
In my judgment the expense of the
inspection should be paid by a fee
levied on each animal slaughtered. If
this is not done. the whole purpose Of
the law can at any time be defeated
through an insufficient appropria ton:
and whenever there was no particular
public interest in the subject it would