Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-06-26

workrooms, from which falling scraps
Of meat are later shoveled 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 prfvfes Of men and women fire..
Quently adjodn, and the entrances are
sometimes no moro than a foot or
two apart. In other cases there are
no privies for women In the rooms In
which they work, and to reach the
nearest 1t IS necessary to go up or
down couple of flights Of stairs. In
one noticeable instance the privy for
the women working in several adjoin-
Ing rooms was in room In which
men chiefly were employed, and every
girl going to use this had to pass
BY the working places Of dozens Of
male operatives and enter 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 sim
ply long row Of open seats. Rest
rooms, where tired women workers
might go for short rest, were found
as rare exceptions, and in some estab-
ltshments women are even placed In
charge Of priyies chiefly for the pur-
pose, 1t was stated, to see that the
girls did not absent themselves too
long from their work under the ex-
cuse Of visiting them. In some in
stances what was called a rest room
was simply one end of the privy par
titfoned of by a six-foot partition
from the remaining Enclosure. A few
girls were found using this, not only
rs a rest room, but as the only avail
able place in which to sit to eat their
luncheon.
Much Of the work in connection
with the handling Of meat has to be
carried on in rooms of low tempera-
ture, but even here q cahous disre-
gard was everywhere seen for the
comfort of those who worked in thess
rooms. Girls and women were found
IN rooms registering q temperature Of
b degrees F. without any ventilation
whatever, depending entirely upon
artificial light. The deors were wet
and soggy, and In some cases covered
with water, 30 that the gfrls had to
stand tn boxes Of sawdust as protec-
ton Tor their feet. In a few cases
even dfppings from the refrigerator
rooms above trickled through the cell.
ing upon the heads of the workers and
upon the food products being prepared.
A very slight expense would have fur
nished drfer floors and protected them
against the tricklings from the CELL
Ing 1t was asserted by the superil-
lsndent Of these rooms that this low
Temperature was essential to the
proper keeping of the meat; bat pre-
eisely similar work was found In other
establishments carried on in rosms
kept at q fair temperature. In many
cases girls Of 16, IT and 1S Year,
stand ten hours day e work. much
Of which could be carried on while
sitting down.
The neglect on the part Of their en-
pioyers to recognize or provide for
the requirements of cleanliness and
aeoency Of the employees must have
IN influence that cannot be exaggerated
In lowering the morals and discourage
Ing cleanliness on the part of the
workers employed in the packing
houses. The whole situation as we
saw It in these huge establishments
lends necessarily and inevitably to
the moral degradation of thousands
'f workers, who are forced to spend
heir working hours under conditions
that are entirely unnecessary and un.
pardonable, 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.
Government Inspection.
We observed carefully the inspection
before slaughter, the inspection after
slaughter on the killing beds, the mora
minute examination of animals tagged
on the killing floors, and the micro
scopic examination for trichinosis.
Inspection Before Slaughter. - In
spection before slaughter appears to
have little value in most cases. That
undue advantage Of this inspection is
taken by outside parties is charged,
and opportunities Tor such are album
dant, but no specific evidence was pre-
scented to us. That this unimportant
and superficial examination should be
compulsory under the present law.
whereas the more scientific examina-
tton after slaughter is only permits.
law.
Inspection After Slaughter. -Inspec-
ton after slaughter appears to be care
fully and conscientiously made. The
government veterinarians maintain
that 1t is adequate, insisting that q
passing examination OF certain glands,
OF the viscera, and of the general con-
dttion OF the carcass is sufficient to
enable an expert, engaged constantly
on this work, to detect at once the
presence OF disease, or of abnormal
conditions. On the slightest indica.
ton OF disease or abnormal conditions
the carcass is tagged and set aside for
a later and more careful examination,
| There should, however, be more pre-
| cautions taken to insure that the in
struments used must be kept antisep.
tically clean.
| Microscopic Examination.-The MI
croscopic examination of hoes to be-
exported to Germany appears to be
made with great care, and it may fair
~ be asked why the same inspection
ia not made pf hnoc l,illad Gov 49,