Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-06-08

REYNOLDS i'll New York City in the in
yestigation Of it's leading slaughter
houses"
The report says that in many of the
rooms where water is used freely the
floors are soaked and Shiny and the dark
and dingy rooms are naturally not kept
suitably clean. An absence of cleanli-
ness was found everywhere in the han
ding c. meat being prepared for the
various meat food products. The parts
that are sent from the cooling room to
these departments where various forms
of meat products are prepared. are han
died with no regard whatever for cleanli-i
ness. The workers climb over heaps Of
meat, select the pieces they wish and
frequently throw them down upon the
dirty floor beside their bench.
Filth Is Awful.
'In a word" the report adds, eve saw,
meat shoveIed from filthy wooden floors,
piled on tables rarely washed, pushed
from room to room in rotten box carts, in
all of which processes it was in the way
of gathering dirt, splinters, floor filth. 1t
was always the reply that this meat
would afterwards be cooked, and that
this sterilization would prevent any
danger from it's use. A very consider
able portion of the meat SO handled is
sent out as smoked products and in the
form of sausages, which are prepared to
be eaten without being cooked.
Sausage Department Worst.
"a particularly glaring instance of I'M
cleanliness was found in a room where
the best grade of sausage was being pre-
pared for export"
The report says that the radical defect
in the inspection system is that it is con-
fined at present by law to passing on the
healthfulness of animals at the time of
hJIf
in sausage and the verious forms of
canned products and other prepared
meat foods goes through many processes,
in all of which there is possibility of con-
tamination through unsanitary handling
and further danger through the use of
chemicals. During all these processes
there is no government inspection al
though these products when sent out
bear a label stating they have been.
passed upon by government inspectors.
Need for Immediate Action.
The report arraigns the sanitary provi-
sions in the buildings as abominable, and
says the men and women plunge their
unwashed hands into the meat to be
converted into food products. The report
says the burden of protecting the clean
illness and wholesomeness of the prod
ucts aid of the workers and improving
the conditions must fall upon the ma
TlOnal government.
Ordinary Decencies Ignored.
Department superintendent "seem to
ignore all considerations except the ac
count book" and proper care of the
products and of health and comfort of
the employees is impossible, and the con-
sumner consequently suffers. tuberculosis
victims expectorate ON the spongy wood
en- floors of the dark work rooms from
which falling scraps OF meat are later
shoveled up to be later converted into
food products. Even the ordinary de-
cencies of life are completely ignored"
says the report in discussing the arrange
ments for men and women employees. The
report says:
The whole situation as we saw it in these
huge establishments tends necessarily and
inevitably to the moral degradation of
thousands of workers, who are forced to-
spend their working hours under conditions
that are entirely unnecessary and unpar-,
donabIe and which are constant menace
not only to their own health, but to the
health of those who use the food products
prepared by them.
Recommendations Are Made.
The report urged inclusion of goats,
now exempt from inspection intended
for foreign or interstate commerce in
the list subject to the inspection of the
bureau of animal industry, and that
they 'SnOulQ De oQuilly Contributed ny
the regulations of the secretary of agri-
culture"
The report also urged compulsory ex-
animation after slaughter; inspection of
meats for foreign or interstate com
merce; increase of inspectors for night
inspection and special work; legislation
prohibiting declarations of government
inspection at every stage of preparation;
prohibiting interstate transportation Of
any meat or meat food products not in
spected and labeled; urges considering
the question of specific labelling of all
carcasses sold as fresh meat which upon
examination after Strengthening show
signs of disease blu: are still deemed
suitable for food and recommends study
of inspection standards of other coun-
tries.