Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-06-07
IHE REPORI

Int hEPUhI
Starting with the conditions in the
yards, they say the pavements are
mostly of brick which invariably fill
with manure and refuse, so that they
cannot be properly cleaned, and are
"slimy and malodUrous when wet,
yielding clouds OF ill-smelling dust
when dry" Calves, sheep and hogs
that have died en- route are thrown
on the platforms, and the only excuse
the investigators heard given for de-
lay in removal was the expense.
The interior of the buildings they
found to be mostly constructed OF
wood. The floors, usually Of wood,
were soaked and Shiny and the rooms
poorly lighted and lily ventilated.
Many of the inside rooms where food
is prepared are without windows, and
are described as vaults where the
air rarely changes"
Systematic ventilation was not
found In any of the establishments
they visited. During the entire inves-
tigatlon they saw but a single porce-
lain-lined receptacle for meats.
Sanitary COnvenienceS.
Taking up the subjects OF sanitary
conveniences for the men and women
employees, the report says nothing
shows more strikingly the general in
difference to matters of cleanliness
and sanitation. The retiring rooms
adjoin the working rooms, usually be-
ing cut OF from the latter by low
partition. Many are located in the
inside corners of work rooms and
have no outside opening whatever.
Continuing, the report says:
"Abominable as the above named
conditions are. the one that affects
most directly and seriously the clean
illness of the food products is the fire.
quent absence of any lavatory pro-
visions in the outhouses. Washing
sinks are either not furnished at all,
or are small and dirty. Neither are
towels, soap or toilet paper provided
Men and women return directly from
these plaC IS to plunge their unwashed
hands into the meat to be converted
into such food products as sausages,
dried beef and other compounds.
Some of the outhouses are situated at
long distance from the work rooms,
and men do not take the trouble to
go to them. Hence, in some cases,
| the resulting fumes swell the sum
of nauseating odors arising from the
dirty blood-soaked, rotting wooden
floors, fruitful culture beds for the dis
ease germs of men and animals"
Here the report suddenly switches
to a brighter picture. 1t speaks Of the
contrast observed by Reynolds in an
establishment visited by him in New
York where the rules Of sanitation
and cleanliness are most scrupulously
observed, and where the ventilation
was excellent and the light abundant.
The Handling of Meat.
The Investigators found that there
also absence of cleanliness everywhere
in the handling of meat. On this
point the report says:
"The workers climb over heaps of
meat, select the pieces they wish, and
frequently thrown them down upon the
dirty floor beside their working
bench. In cutting the meat upon the
bench the work is usually held pressed
against their aprons, and these aprons
were, as Y rule, indescribably filthy
Moreover men we're seen to climb
from the floor and stand with shoes
dirty with the refuse on the floors, on
the tables on which the meat was han
died. They we're seen at the lunch
hour sitting on the tables on the spot
on which meat product was handled
and Ill this under the very eye of the
/ superintendent of the room.
I'VE saw meat shoveled from filth5
! wooden floors, piled on tables, rarely
= washed, pushed from room TO room IL
: rotten box carts I'm all OF which pro
/ lcesses 1t was in the way of gather
Z ing dirt, splinters, floor filth and ex
4 pectoration of tuberculosis and othe
diseased workers.
Glaring UncIeanIinesa.
A particularly glaring instance of un
l cleanliness was found in a room whert
5 the best grade of sausage was beinl
: prepared for export. In this case tn,
I employee carted the chopped-up mea
: across in a room in a barrow, the han
. dies of which were filthy with grease
i The meat was then thrown upon "a
I bles, and the employee climber upoi
the table, handled the meat with hi
linwashed hands, knelt with his dirt
apron and trousers in contact wit
o the meat he was spreading out, an
9 after he had finished his operatio
I again took hold of the dirty handle