The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-06-15
MIIEA r PACKING
Horrors Brought to the Atten'
tioilof Congress Last Week
By THE PRESIDyN t.

b1 IHE PKESlDEN L.
lie Calls Attention to the Need OF Add
s'onsl Legislation to Enable The Ex-
ec1ilve Department to Pie.
Vent the Distribution of
Poisonous Foods.
Theafollowing message from the
President to Congress explains itself:
The Senate and House of r ,presen.
tatiVeS:
4 transmit herewith the report OF
Mr. James Bronson Reynolds and
Commissioner Charles p. Neil, the
special committee, whom appointed
to inycstlgate into the conditions in
tha stock yards OF Chicago and report
thereon to me. THIS report is OF a
preliminary nature. l submit 1t to
you now because 1t shows the urgent
need OF immediate action by the
Congress In the direction Of providing
a drastic and thorougbgoing inspac
ton bY the Federal government of al
stock yards and packing houses and nt
their products, 80 far as the latter
enterdnto Interstate or foreign CON
merce. The conditions shown by
even jthiH short inspection to exist in
Chicago stock yards are revolving. IL
Is iDperativaly necessary in the in
tere3t OF health and Of decency that
6hey5 should be radically changed
Under the existing law it Is wholly
impossible to secure satisfactory re-
suits,
When my attention was first di-
rec5ed to this matter an inves tigation
vas made under the bureau Of animal
industry of the department. of agri
culture. When the preliminary state
meDts Of this investigation were
nfought to my attention they showed
Such defects In the law and such
wholly unexpected conditions that
deemed 1T best TO have a further i'm
maHiata Investigation by men not con-
nec1ed with the bureau, aud accord.
lnglY appointed Messrs. Reynolds
anl Neill, 1t was Impossible under
theS existing law that satisfaotor,
WORK should be dooe by the bureau OF
anihal Industry. l am now, how
eVeI, examining the way ia which the
woSS actually was done.
before had received the report
OF y assrs. Reynolds and Neill had
r. ed that labels placed upon any
c"of meat food products should
i.. g.53Sr.- : ) asSareass Of the ami.
mal 4, om which the meat vas taken
had been inspected at the time of
slaughter. II inspection Of meat food
products at all stages Of preparation
Is pot secured by the passage Of til
iegiHlati n recon- mended | shall fee
compelled to order that inspection la
oes and certificates on canned pro
ducts shall not be used hereafter.
"'The report shows that the stock
yards and packing houses are not KEEP
reasonably clean, and that the meth
cd OF handling and preparing foo0
products ts unc'eanly and dangerous
to health. Under exls ing law tht
National Government has no power
to enforce inspection Of the many
forms of prepared meat food products
that are daily going from the pack
ing houses into interstate commerce
Owing to an inadequate approprla,
tlon the department. Of agriculture is
not even able to place inspectors In
all establishments desiring item II ie
present law prohibits the shipment Of
uninspected meat to fore gn coun.
tries, but there Is no provision forbid
| ding tue shipment Of uninsp scted
| meats In Interstate commerce, and
thuS the avenues Of Interstate com
merce are left open to trallic In dis,
eased or spoiled meats. IL, as has
been alleged on seemingly good au
thorlty further evils exist, such as
the improper use Of chemicals and
dyes, the government lacks power tt
remedy them. A law is needed which
Will enable the inspectors of the gen
eral government TO inspect and su
pervise from the hoof to the can tn,
preparation Of the meat food product
The evil seems to be much less in tn,
sale OF dressed carCasses than In thu
sale OF canned and OTHER prepared
products; and very much less as re
CARDS products sent abroad than a
regards those used at home"
In my Judgment the expense o
tho inspection should be paid by
fee levied on each animal slaughtered
Il this Is not done, the whole purpDs
Of the law can at any tima be de
feated through an insuni Gent Gpprc
priatioL; and whenever there was NJ
particular public interest In the 81 }
jcot 1t would be not only easy bu
natural thus TO make the approprlA
tion inBullioie | it were not TO
bhis consideration l should favor th
Government paying for the inspoc
tion"
The alarm expressed In ctrtni
quarters concerning this featur
should be allayed by o realization o
Ohe fact that In no case, under such
law, will the cost Of inspection ex
coed 8 cents per head.
i call special attention to the fac
that this report 10 preliminary, an
: thai the investigation Is still uDfin
ished. 1t is not yet possible to repor
on the alleged abuses in the use @
deleterious chemical compounds 4
connection with canning and presery
Ing meat products, nor, on the aliege
doctoriDg in this fashion OF tainte
meat and Of products returned to til
packers az having grown unstable o
unusabl6 from age or from oUhe
,, reasons. Grave allegations are mad
I'm reforanOe tn abu9ea Of thia nature