Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-06
The Neill Report.

The Senate and House of Representa-
 tives:
 transmit herewith the report of James Bronson Reynolds and Commis-
 sioner Charles P. Neill. the special committee whom I appointed to in- vestigate into the conditions In the stockyards of Chicago and report thereon to me. This report is of a preliminary nature. submit 1t to you now because itrshowsA thepurgent need of immediate action by the con gress in the direction of providing drastic and thoroughgoing inspection by the federal government of all stock yards and packing houses and of their products so far as the latter enter into interstate or foreign commerce. The conditions shown by even this short
 inspection to exist In the Chicago stockyards are revolting. It is i'm peratlvely necessary in the interest of health and of decency that they should be radically changed. Under the ex- isting law it Is wholly impossible to I secure satisfactory results.
 When my attention was first direct cd to this matter an investigation was made under the bureau of animal in- dustry of the department of agricul- ture. When the preliminary statements of this investigation were brought to my attention they showed such defects in the law and such wholly unexpected conditions that deemed 1t best to have further immediate investiga- ton by men not connected with the bureau, and accordingly appointed Messrs. Reynolds and Neill. It was impossible under the existing law that satisfactory work should be done by the bureau of animal industry. I am now. however. examining the way in which the work actually was done.
 Before had received the report of Messrs. Reynolds and Neili I had d. rected that labels placed upon any package of meat food products should state only that the carcass of the an- final from which the meat was taken had been inspected at the time of slaughter. If inspection 6 meat food products at all stnges of preparation is not secured by the passage of the legis,ation recommended I shall feel compelled to order that inspection la bels and certificates on canned prod ucs shall not be used hereafter.
 The report shows that the stockyards and packing houses are not kept even reasonably clean and that the method of handling and preparing food prod ucts is uncleanly and dangerous to health. Under existing law the na- tional government has no power to en- force inspection of the many forms of prepared meat food products that are daily going from the packing houses into interstate commerce. Owing to an inadequate appropriation the depart ment of agriculture is not even able to place inspectors in all establish ments desiring them The present law prohibits the shipment of uninspected meat to foreign countries. but there Is no provision. forbiddins the shipment of uninspecsed meats in interstate commerce. and thus the avenues of interstzte conmerce are left open to | trafic In diseased or spoiled meats. If. as has been alleged on seemingly good authority. further evils exist. such ss the improper use of chemicals and i dyes. the government lacks power to remedy them A law is needed which i VII enable the inspectors of the gen eral government to Inspect and super | vise from the hoof to the can the prep i sration Of the meat food product The l evil seems fo bc much ie>s ia the sale sf dre<=<t czrrss>es than in the sale of I eznnedand otber prcpsred prodoct< and ] v<<y zncA jess as reEzris rrod1cfs sent l n>Eoo1 G1nn c re<1fds thsse used st !