Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-04
URGENT NEED OF IMMEDIATE ACTION
Partial Statement Showing Those Practices
Common in Most Every Packing House
Examined Uncleanliness and
Insanitary Habits.

The President today sent message to
Congress transmitting the preliminary re-
port of Mr.. James Bronson Reynolds ana
Commissioner Charles P. Neill, the special
committee appointed by him to investigate
the conditions in the stockyards Of Chi
cago. The message and report follow
The Senate and House of Representatives;
transmit herewith the report of Mr.
James Bronson Reynolds and Commissioner
Charles P. Nein. the special committee
whom l appointed TO investigate into the
conditions in the stock yards OF chicago
and reuort thereon to me. This report is
OF a preliminary nature. ! submit 1t to you
now because it shows the urgent need OF
immediate action by the Congress in the
direction of providing drastic and thor
oughgoing inspection by the federal gov
ernment of all stock yards and packing
houses and of their products. so far as the
latter enter into interstate or foreign COM
meree The conditions shown by even TINS
short inspection to exist in the Chlcago
stock yards are revolving. 1t Is impera-
tively necessary in the interest of health
and of decency that they should be radical
Iy changed Under the existing law 1t is
wholly impossible to secure satisfactory re-
suits.
When my attention was first directed TO
this matter an investigation was made un-
der the Bureau of Animal Industry of the
Department of Agriculture. When the pre-
liminary statements of this investigation
were brought to my attention they showed
such defects in the law and such wholly
unexpected conditions that deemed it best
TO have a further immediate investigation
by men not connected with the Bureau, and
accordingly appointed Messrs. Reynolds and
NeiIl 1t was impossible under the existing
law that satisfactory work should be done
by the Bureau OF Animal Industry. am
now. however. examining the way in which
the work actually was done.
Before I had received the report of
Messrs Reynolds and Neili ] had directed
that labels placed upon any package OF
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. If inspection or meat
food products at all stages of preparation
is not secured by the passage of the legis-
latton recommended l shall feel compelled
TO order that inspection labels and certifi-
Gates on canned products shall not be used
hereafter.
The report shows that the stock yards
and packing houses are not kept even rea-
sonably clean, and that the method or
handling and preparing food products is un-
cleanly and dangerous to health. Under
existing law the National Government has
no power to enforce 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 Department
of Agriculture is not even able to place In
spectors IN all establishments desiring
them. The present law prohibits the ship
ment of uninspected meat to foreign coun-
tries but there is no provision forbidding
the shipment OF uninspected meats In IN
terstate commerce, and thus the avenues
of interstate commerce are left open 10
traffic I'm diseased or spoiled meats. If, as
has been alleged on seemingly good author
ity further evils exist, such as the improper
use OF chemicals and dyes, the Government
lacks power to remedy them. A law is
needed which will enable the inspectors OF
the General Government to inspect and
supervise from the hoof to the can the
preparation Of the meat food product. The
evil seems to be much less In the sale OF
dressed carcasses than In the sale of canned
and other prepared products and very much
less as regards products sent abroad than
as regards those used at home"
In my Judgment the expense of the in
apection should be paid by fee levied
on each animal slaughtered. II this Is not
done, the whole purpose OF the law can at
any time be defeated through an insufficient
appropriation; and whenever there was no
particular public interest in the subject 1t
would be not only easy but natural thus to
make the appropriation insufficient. IL It
were not for this consideration I should IA
vor the Government paying for the in
spections.
The alarm expressed in certain quarters
concerning this feature should be alleged
by realization OF the fact that IN nc
case. under such law, win the cost of IN
speetion exceed cents per head
/ call special attention to the fact that
this report is preliminary. and that the in
vestigation is stili unfinished. 1t is not vet
possible to report on the alleged abuses in
the use OF deleterious chemical compounds
IN connection with canning and preserving