Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-05
CONDITIONS IN WINDY CITY ARE BAD
Packing Houses and Stock Yards Are Not
Even Reasonably Clean.
IMPROPER USE OF CHEMICALS ALLEGED
Evils Confined Largely to Canned ant
Prepared Meat Foods,
MESSAGE RECOMMENDS CHANGE IN LAWS
Executive Would Have Inspection
Continuous from shipping Pens
20 Time Meat f. Ready
for Food.

NDNNs
WASHINGTON, June 4.--Presldent Roose-
welt today transmitted to congress the re-
port Of Reynolds and Neill on the condition
Of packing houses and the methods now in
the preparation OF food products at Chi
cago.
The letter OF transmission and message
recommending reforms based on the report
is as folows
he Senate and House OF Representa-
tiNes: 1 transmit herewith the report OF
James Bronson Reynolds and Commits
slOner Craries +. Neill, the special CONF
,.."tee whom appointed to investigate the
Conditions in the stock yards of Chicago
d.u report thereon to me. This report Is
OF preliminary nature. i submit 1t to
you now because il shows the urgent need
" immediate action by the congress in
the direction OF providing drastic and thor
oush-goinE inspection by the federal gov
houses ana Of their Products, so far as
the latter enter Into Interstate or foreign
commerce, The conditions shown by even
THIS short inspection to exist in the Chi
caBo stock yards are revolving. 1t is inn
pefatively necessary, in the interest OF de-
eency, that they should be radically
changed. Under the existing law II is
wnony impossible 10 secure satisfactory re-
When my attention was first directed to
the matter an investigation was made by
the bureau OF animal industry OF the De
liminary statements of this investigation
were brought TO my attention they showed
such defects In the law and such wholly
unexpected conditions that l deemed it
best to have further immediate investiga-
tion by men not connected with the bu-
Reynolds ana Neill. IL was impossible,
under the existing law, that satisfactory
work should be done by the bureau of
amining the way in which the work actu-
ally was done.
Inspection Labels May BE Barred.
u Before had received the report Of
that labels placed upon any package of
meat food products. should. state only
that the carcass of the animal from which
the meat was taken had been inspected
at the time OF slaughter, II inspection OF
meat food products az all stages of prep
aration IS not secured by the passage of
legislation recommended shall feel COM
PEELED TO order that inspection labels and
eertlncates on canned products shall rot
The report shows that the stock yards
and packing houses are not kept even .rea-
sonably clean and that the method Of
preparing and handling food ia uncIeanly
Apn qansesQAs .fel, el,tlsal b. ~ ider xiating'
to force inspection OF the many forms of
prepared meat foods, products that are
daily going IRON the packing houses into
Owing to an inadequate appropriation
the Department OF Agriculture Is not even
able to place inspectors in all establish
ments desiring them. The present law pro-
hibits the shipment OF uninspected meat
TO foreign countries, but there is no pro-
vision prohibiting the shipment of unin-
spected meats into Interstate commerce.
thus the avenues OF interstate commerce
are left open to traffic In diseased or
spoiled meats. IT, as has been alleged on
seemingly good authority further evils ex-
and dyes. and the government lacks power
20 remedy them, a law is needed which
will enable the inspectors of the general
government to inspect and supervise from
the hoof 10 the can the preparation Of the
meat food product. The evil seems much
less m the sale OF dressed carcasses than
In the sale of canned and other prepared
products, and very much less as regards
products sent abroad than as regards
those used at home.
sugEests Fee for Inspection.
In my judgment the expense OF the tn
spertion shouid be paid by fee levied on
each animal slaughtered. II this is not
done the whole purpose OF the law can
a. any time be defeated through an in
sufficient appropriation. and wherever
there was no particular public interest in
nsturaI thus to make the appropriati9n in. In.
suffcient. IL IL were not for this con-
sideration would favor the government
paylnG tor the inspection.
1he alarm expressed in certain quarters
concerning this feature should be allayed by
a realization OF the fact that In no case,
under sucn law, will the cost of inspee-
ton exceed cents per head.
! call special attention TO the fact that
this report Is preliminary and that the in
vestlgation is still unfinished II is not yet
possible TO report on the alleged abuses In
the use OF deleterious chemical compounds
in connection with canning and preserv-
ing meat products, nor on the alleged doc
torlng in this fashion Of tainted meat, and
OF products returned to the packers as
having grown unstable from age or from
other reasons Grave allegations are made
IN reference TO abuses Of this nature
Let me repeat that under the present
sioppins these abuses, il they should be
Legislation is needed in order TO prevent
the possibility Of all abuses in the future
lent results accomplished by the work OF
this special committee will endure only Sc
long as the memory OF the committee
work Is fresh, and recrudescence of tbs
abuses is absolutely certain.
/ urge the immediate enactment into Law
OF provisions which will enable the De
partment Of Agriculture adequately to In
spect the meat ana meat tood products
entering into Interstate commerce and q
p same. and 10 prescribe the sanitary condi
ticns under which the work shall be per
vorable confederation and urge the enact
ment OF substantially the provision.
making appropriation for the Bepartmen en-
OF Agriculture for the fiscal year ending
June 3d. 1907, ss passed by the senate thii
enactment being commonly known as tn,
Beveridge amendment.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, June T. 1906.
summary of the report followss
The report says that two and one-hal p
weeks were spent IN the investigation n
Chicago during which We went through
the principal packing houses In the stool
yards district, together with few OF n
smaller ones. A day was spent by Mr.
Reynolds in New York City IN the investl
cation Of It's ieading slaughter houses"
The report says that in many OF tn
rooms whore water is used freely the noor
are soaked and slimy and the dark an
dingy rooms are naturally not kept suit
ably clean. An absence OF cleanliness wa
found evsrywhere In the handling OF mea
being prepared for the various meat Zoo
products. The parts that are sent fror
the cooling room 10 these department
where various forms OF meat products az
prepared are handled with no regard what
ever for cleanliness. The workers clim
over heaps Of meat, select the pieces the
wish and frequently throw them dow
upon the dirty hoor beside their bench.
in word" the report adds. I'VE sa,
meat shoveled from hlthy wooden noor.