Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-05
REYNOLDS NELL REPORT ON STOCK YARDS CONDITIONS

REPORT On STOCK J
the pr1vies. the odors Of which add to
the generally insanitary state of the at
moSphere.
Accountable as the above named con-
ditions are, the one that affects most
directly and Seriously the cleanliness
OF the food products is the frequent
absence of any lavatory provisions in
the privies Washing sinks are either
not furnished at all or are small and
dirty Neither are towels, soap OF
toilet paper provided. Men and women
return directly from these places TO
plunge their unwashed hands into the
meat TO he converted into such food
products as SauSageS, dried beef and
other compounds. Some of the privieS
are situated at long distance from
tile work rooms and men relieve them
selves on the killing floors or i'll
corner of the work rooms. Hence, in
some cases. thefumeS of the urine swell
the sum of nauseating odOrS arising
from the dirty. blood Soaked, rottinS
wooden floors. fruitful culture beds for
the disease germs of men and animals.
The report here tells of an eStab-
lishment in New York which is con-
cirIeS and adds:
The same principles Of sanitation.
and the same care of the health and
cleanliness of the workers would rev
olution the Stoclyards of Chicago and
the attainment of such a standard
should be the concern of the national
government and of the city of Chicago.
Under existing conditions the burden
of protecting the cleanliness and whole
SomeneSS of the product and health Of
the workers and of improving the con-
litionS under which the work is per-
formed. must fall upon the national
government.
Treatment of Meats.
An absence of cleanliness was also
found everywhere in the handling of
meat being prepared for the various
products. After killing. car
caSSes are well washed, and up to the
time they reach the cooling room are
handled in fairly sanitary and cleanly
manner. The parts that leave the cool
ing room for treatment in bulk are also
handled with great regard to cleanli-
ness. but the parts that are sent from
the cooling room to those departments
of the packing house in which various
forms of meat products are prepared
are handled with no regard whatever
for cleanliness. In some OF the largest
establishments sides are sent to what
is known as the boning room. are
i'll a heap upon the floor. The
workers climb over these heaps of
meat select the pieces they wish. and
throw them down upon the
floor beside their working bench. Even
in cutting the meat upon the bench
the work is usually held pressed
a%ainSt his aprons, and these aprons
were, as rule, indescrbably filthy.
They We're made in most cases of
leather or of rough Sacking and bore
long accumulated grease and dirt. In
only Il few places We're suitable Oil
cloth aprons worn. Moreover. men
we're seen to climb from the floor and
stand. with shoes dirty with the refuse
Of the floors, on the tables upon which
the meat was handled. They were
tables on the spot on which the meat
product was handled, and all this I'M
Ter the very eye of the superintendent
Of the room, showing that this was the
common practice.
Meat scraps We're also found being
shoveled into receptacles from dirty
fOOrs where they We're left to lie I'M
Ill again Shoveled into barrels or into
machines for chOpping. These floors |
t must be noted, We're in most cases |
lamp and soggy, in dark. ill-vcntilated |
rooms, and the employees in utter ig- |
1orance of cleanliness or danger to |
health, expectorated at will upon them. |
IN q word. we saw meat shOveled from |
filthy floors. piled on tables rarely |
pushed from room To room in
rotten box carts, in all of which pro-
'esses it was in the way of gathering
iirt, splintcrS. floor filth and the eX-
decoration of tuberculOus and other
diseased workers. Where comment
vas made to floor superintendent
lbout these matters il was always the
'eply that this meat would afterwards
De cooked and that this sterilization
would prevent any danger from its use.
even this, it may be pointed out in
'aSsing, is not wholly true A very
considerable portion of the meat so
handled is sent out as smoked products
nd in the form of sausages. which are
prepared to be eaten without being
ooked.
Particular Glaring Instance.
A particularly glaring instance of
was found in n room
where the best grade of sausage was
eing prepared for export. 1t was made
rom carefully selected meats. and was
eing prepared to be eaten uncook ed.
n this case the employee carted the
hopped up meat across room
n barrow. the handles of which We're
lthy with grease. The meat was then
brown out upon tables and the en-
10y climbed upon the table. handled
he meat with his unwashed hands.
melt with his dirty apron and trous-