The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-05
ng Conditions Packing Houses Exposed Report to Congress

the handles IL which we're fl,hy
with grease. The meat was then
thrown oiit upon tables, and The EN-,
ploye climbed upon the table. handled
the meat with his nnwashed hands,
knelt with Ills dirty apron and trolls-
ers IN contact witt, the meat , ne {; was ",
lshed his operation. again took hold
OF the dirty handles OF the wheel
barrow, ! went back for another load,
and repeated this process indefinitely
Inquiry developed the fact that there
and the only5tnethod the man adopted
for cleansing his hands was osrhb
them against his dirty apron or OH
his still 3filtliier trousers. s
AS an extreme example Of the en-
tire disregard on tho part OF employees
Ct any notion Of cleanliness n ha ,a
had just been killed, cleaned, washed
and started on Its way to the cool
Aingroom, fall from the sliding rail to
Il dirty wooden floor and slide part
way n jsRea az s. NEWS twe p eploycs
placed upon d truck. carried Into the
coolinsroom ana hung up with other
cnrcasses, no effort being made 70
clean It.
Treatment Of meat after Inspection.
The radical defect n IN, the present sent
not go, far enough. It. lis confined mt
present by law to passing on the,
fealthfulness OF animals at the time
+ Of killing; but the meat TINT Is used
In sausage fand Sin the various forSls
Of &c canned products and other pre-,
processes, in all Of which there Is
possibility of contamination through
insunltary handling. and further dan
ger through the use OF Slemicals.
I. During all these processes OF ,prepa-
ration there is no government inspec-
these meat food products are whole
some and ut food-despite tho
fact that nil these products, when
sent out, BEAR label stating they
have been passed upon BY govern
ment inspectors.
legged use OF dyes, personalities or
chemicals in the preparation OF cured
meats, satsages and canned goods we
are not vet prepared to report. We
did look into the matter of sanitary
handling Of the meats being prepared
The results Of our observations have
already been partly giyen. Other In
stances Of how products may be
made up, and still secure the stamp
of government inspection are here
given. In one well-known establtsh-
ing shovcled into barrels and q reg
!, ular proportion being added Of stale
scraps that had lain on dirty floor
In the corner OF a room for some days
previ!ous.t,,In another establishment.
equally well known, long table was
pounds Of cooked scraps Of beef and
other meats. Some Of these meat
scraps were dry, leathery, and unfit
to be eaten and In the heap were
found pieces Of pigskin. and even
some bits Of rope strands and other
admission from the man in charge
that this was to be ground up and
used In making ''potted ham, II
All of these canned products bear
labels OF which the following Is .
ABATTo1R NO. -.
The contents Of this. package have
been inspected according to the act I
QUALITY GUARANTEED.
The phraseology Of these labels Is
wholly unwarranted. The goVErn-
me- inspectors pass only upon the
3healthfulness OF the animal at the
Of the processes through which tho
meat has passed since this ipspec-.
ton. They do not know what else
may have been placed In the cans
In addition ito inspected meat. AS
matter Of fact they know nothing
which the packers place these labels;
do not even know that It contains
what It purports to contain. The
legend EQUALITY guaranteed" i1nmedi-
ately following the statement as to
government inspection Is whony un-
justifiable. It deceives and is plainly
designed to deceive the average pur-
chaser, who naturally infers from the
label that the government guarantees
the contents OF the can to be what
1t purports to be-
In another establishment piles OF
sausagcs and dry moldy canned
were found, which the superintendent
stated to rs would be tanked and
converted into grease. The DISPOSE
ton to be made of this was wholly
optional with the superintendent or
representatives Of the packers. as the
government does not concern Itself
they have passed inspection Z on the
killing floor It might all he treated
with chemicals, mixed with other
meats, turned out In any form OF
meat product desired. and yet the
packages or receptaclet In which It
would be marked with label that
theil. contents had been government
Inspected" 1t is not alleged here
that such use was to be made OF this
stuff. The case is pointed out as
one showing the glaring opportunity
for the misuse Of a label bearing the
name and the implied guaranty OF
the United States government.
Another instance Of abuse In the
use bf the labels came to our notice
In two different establishments great
stocks OF old canned goods were be-
Ing put through washing process
to remove the old labels. They were
then subjected to sufficient heat TO
''liven up" the contents-to use the
phrase of the room superintendent.
After this fresh labels. with the
government name on them. were to
be placed upon the cans. and they
were TO be sent out bearing all tho
evidence OF being freshly put UP
product. In one OF these instances,
by the admission OF the super!ntend-
ent, the stock thus being relabelcd
was over two years old. In tho other
case the superintendent evaded 4
statement Of how old the goods were.