Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-06-08
CHICAGO PACKING
HOUSE HORRORS
PURIFYING Meats Packed in Filth, Sent
Out by the Trusts,-President Sends
Urgent Message to Congress.

: PURIFYING Meats Packed in Filth, Sen
Out by the Trusts,-President Send
Urgent Message to Congress.
C Washington, ID g., June dis
e closures SO hOrrlfying as to be almos
n beyond belief are made in the specia
7 | report on the Chicago packing housel
< prepared by Charles P Neill, Com
2 missioner of Labor, and James B Rey-
n olds, of New York, and submitted tt
Congress this week by President Roose
Welt.
81 In his message accompanying the
report, the President characterizes con
Editions found by the two investigators
as "revolting," and urges immediate
and drastic legislation, lin the inter.
ests of health and decency." He moi
only recommends the passage of the
so-called Beverage amendment to the
agricultural appropriation bill, but
threatens to destroy the foreign bust
ness of the packers, should Congress
fail to provide for Federal inspection
of meats, at all stages Of preparation.
In the event of such failure, the Presl.
dens says that he will be compelled
to order that inspection labels and GER
tificates on canned products shall not
be used hereafter"
| Without these labels the products
will be excluded from European mar
kets.
The Neill-ReynOlds report is not
nice reading. 1t is story of filth and
pollution. Some of the statements
made are actually sickening. The
packers are charged with displaying
absolute disregard, not only of the &C
cepted rules of sanitation and cleanli-
ness, but also those of common decen-
cy.
In describing dirty conditions in the
matchmaking rooms and the disgust
ing practices of the employees, the two
investigators have been compelled to
uoC pain lddS uuSCs ICY tCli ouIy
what they actually saw during their
two and half weeks visit in Pack
ingtown. Numerous affidavits were
presented to them, most of which were
rejected, as being beyond the possihil-
ity of verfication in the limited time
at their disposal.
Attention is called by both the Pres.
ldent and the investigators that the
present report is only preliminary, and
that certain grave charges, especially
those in connection with the alleged
improper use of chemicals and dyes in
"doctoring" meats that otherwise
would have to be discarded, are still
the subject of inquiry.
The report submitted more than sus
tains the most serious allegations that
have been made by independent inves-
tigators respecting the lack of SAM Ia
tion and cleanliness, and shows graph.
ically that the present system of gov
eminent inspection is entirely made
quate to prevent germ laden meat pro-
ducts being thrown generally OH the
market at home as well as abroad.
The report is SO shocking in detail
as to render it unfit for publication.
but we give below a full text of
THE PRESIDENT MESSAGE
The Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
| transmit herewith the report OF Mr..
James Bronson Reynolds and Commits
sioner Charles z. Neill, the special
committee whom appointed to inves
tigate into the conditions in the stock
yards of Chicago and report thereon to
me. submit it to you now becauss it
shows the urgent need of immediate
action by the Congress in the direction
of providing drastic and thorough
going inspection by the Federal gov
eminent of all stock yards and pack
ing houses and 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 Chicago stock yards are
revolving. it is imperativelY necessary
in the interest of health and of de-
cency that they should be radically
charged. Under the existing law it is
wholly impossible to secure satisfac-
tory results.
Before had received the report of
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill had d.
rected that labels placed upon any
package of meat food products should
state only that the carcass of the ami
NAL from which the meat was taken
had been inspected at the time of
slaughter. If inspection OF meat food
products at all stages of preparation is
not secured by the passage of the leg
islation recommended, l shall feel
compelled to order that inspection labels
and certificates ON canned products
shall not be used hereafter.
The report shows that the stock
yards and packing hou SEES are not kept
even reasonably clean and that the
method of handling aud preparing food
products is uncleanly and dangerous
to health. The present law prohibits
the shipment of uninspected meat to
foreign countries, but there is no pro-
vision forbiddlng the shipment of I'M
inspected meats in Interstate com
merce, and thus the avenues OF inter-
state commerce are left open to traffic
in diseased or spoiled meats. If, as
has been alleged on seemingly good all
thority, further evils exist, such az
the improper use Of chemicals and
dyes, the government lacks power to
remedy them. A law is needed which
4 IL