The Washington times., 1906-06-04
QUALITY GUARANTEEp.

EC<aA~4 L NpOA IAN
The phraseology OF these labels is
inspectors pass only upon the health
fulness OF the animal at the time of
killing They know nothing OF the pro-
cesses through which the meat has
passed since this inspection. They do
not know what else may have been
placed in the cans in addition 10 In
sPected meat" As a. matter of fact,
they know nothing about the contents
of the can upon which the packers place
these labels-do not even know that it
contains what IL purpOrtS 10 contain.
The legend Quality guaranteed i'm
mediately following the statement as 10
Government inspection IS wholly unjust
! lfiable- 1t deceiveS and IS plainly de-
signed 70 deceive the average purchas-
er. who naturally infers from the label
that the Government guarantees the
| contents OF the can 20 be what II pur-
ports to be.
In another establishment piles of
sausages and dry moldy canned meats.
found. which The superintendent stated
to US would be tanked and converted
into grease. The disposition TO be made
OF this was wholly optional with the
superintendentS or representatives OF
/ the packers, as the Government does
not concern itself with the disposition
I Of meats after they have passed in
/ spectiOn on the killing floor. II might
/ all be treated with chemicals. mixed
with other meats. turned out In any
/ form Of meat product desired. and yet
L the PACKAGES or Ee-GptdClGE In WllCn
/ IL was 10 be shipped out to the public
would be marked with a label that their
/ contents had been Government inspect
| ed" 1t IS not alleged here that their
use was TO be made Of this stun. The
case is pointed out as one show ng the
glaring opportunity for the misuse of
| a label bearing the name and the i'm
: Piled guaranty OF the United States Gov
] Crnmeut-
/ Another instance OF abuse in the use
/ of the labels came to our notice IN two
III IL Tf-F4r etc Of
/ old canned goods were being put through
a washing process 10 remove the old
! labels They were then subjected TO
I tents-to use the phrase OF the room
superintendent. After this, fresh labels,
with the Government name on them.
We're to be placed upon the cans, and
! they were to be sent out bearing all the
! evidence Of being a freshly put up prod
uct. In one Of these instances, by the
I admission Of the superintendent. the
I stock thus being relabeled was over two
years old In the other case the super
! intendenr evaded a statement Of how OLD
! the goods were.
: V-TreatmeEt of Employees.
] The lack Of consideration for the
/ health and comfort OF the iabOrers in
/ the Chicago stock yards seems 10 be Z.
4 direct consequence Of the system Of ad
/ ministTaJiOn that prevails. The various
/ departments are under the direct con-
! troll OF superintendents who claim TO
/ use fun authority in dealing with the
/ employees and who seem 10 ignore all
! considerations except those OF the aC-
{ count book Under this system proper
/ care OF the products and of the health
/ and comfort OF the employees is impOsSi-
I bic, and the consumer suffers in COnse-
I Quence- The inSanitary conditions in
I which the labOreTs work and the fever
! lSh pace which they are forced 10 main
I tain inevitably affect their health Ply
7 EnlanlnG TFrngrTrTHfnCgE
! pOrtiOnately prevalent IN the stock yards
and the victims OF this disease eXpeC-
J tOrate on the spongy wooden floors OF
{ the dark WOrkrOOmS- from which fall
/ ing scraps OF meat are later ShoVcied
/ up to be converted into food products.
/ Even the ordinary deCenCies OF life
are completely ignored. In practically
all cases the doors OF the toilet rooms.
open directly into the working rooms,
/ the privies OF men and women fire.
Quently adIOin, and the entrances are
/ sometimes no more than foot or two
apart In other cases there are no
3 privies for women in the rooms in which
] they work, and TO reach the nearest II
| is necessary TO go up or down a couple
! Of flights Of stairs In one noticeable
] instance the privy for the women work
{ ing IN several adjoining rooms was IN
/ a room in which men chiefly were en-
plOyCd. and every girl going to use this
I had to pass by the working places OF
| the privy the door Of which was not
/ six feet from the working place OF one
/ Of the men operatives, As previously
| noted, in the privies for men and
/ women alike there are no partitions.
! but simply a long row Of open seats.
/ Rest rooms. where tired women work
/ ers might go for a short rest, were
/ found as rare exceptions, and in some
I establishments women are even placed
IN charge OF privies chiefly for the
/ purpose il was stated. 70 see that the
/ girls did not absent themselves too
] long from their work under the excuse
! Of visiting them In some instances
| what was called a rest room was sim j.
ply one end Of the privy partitioned of
I bv a siX-foOt partition from the re-
/ manning inClCSuTe. A few girls were
/ found using .his, not only aS rest
/ room but as the only available place
/ in which to sit TO eat their luncheon
/ AIuct of the work in connection with
/ the handling OF meat has to be carried
/ or IN rooms of low temperature, but
/ even here callOus disregard was
I evervwhere seen for the comfort o.
! those who worked in these rooms
! Girls and women were found IN rooms
! registering a temperature OF 81 degrees
! Fahrenheit without any ventilation
whatever. depending entirely upon arti-
fcial light. The floors we're Wet and
| soEgy. and in some cases covered with
water. so that the girls had TO stand
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