The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-06-07

bility of all abuses In the future. If
no legislation Is passed, then the ex.
cellent result accomplished by the
work of this special committee will en-
dure only so long as the memory of
the committees work is fresh and
recrudescence of the abuses is abso-
lutely certain.
II urge the immediate enactment In.
to law of provisions which will enable
the department of agriculture ade-
quately to inspect the meat and meat
food products entering into interstate
commerce and to supervise the meth
DDS of preparing the same and to pre-
scribe the sanitary conditions under
which the work shall be performed
therefore commend to your favorable
consideration and urge the enactment
of substantially the provisions known
as senate amendment NO. 30 to the
act making appropriations for the de.
partment of agriculture for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1907, as passed
by the senate, this amendment being
commonly known as the Beveridge
amendment
(Sig) THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
The White House. June 4, 1906.
The report says that two and one
half weeks we're spent in the investiga-
tion in Chicago, during which 1--WE
went through the principal packing
houses and stock yards district. to-
gether with a few OF the smaller ones.
A day was spent by Mr.. Reynolds in
New York city in the investigation OF
its leading slaughter houses.
The report says that in any of the
rooms where water is used freely the
floors are soaked and Shiny, and the
dark and dingy rooms are naturally
not kept suitably clean. An absence
of cleanliness was found everywhere
in the handling Of meat being pre-
pared for the various meat food prod
uts. The parts that are sent from the
where various forms of meat products
are prepared, are handled with no re-
gard whatever for cleanliness. The
workers climb over heaps of meat,
select the pieces they wish, and fire.
quently throw them down upon the
dirty floor beside their bench.
I'm word" the report adds. I'VE
saw meat shoveled from filthy wooden
floors. piled on tables rarely washed,
pushed from room to room in rotten
box cars, in all of which process II
was In the way of gathering dirt,
splinters. floor filth. II was always the
reply that this meat would afterward
be cooked. and that this sterilization
would prevent any danger from Its
use. A very considerable portion OF
The meat so handled is sent out as
smoked products. and In this form OF
sausages, which are prepared to be
eaten without being cooked.
"A particularly glaring instance Of
was found In a room
where the best grade OF sausage was
being prepared for export"
The report says that the radical
defect In the inspection system Is that
1t is confined at present by law to pass.
ing on the healthfulness OF animals at
the time OF killing, but that the meat
that Is used In sausage and the vari.
Gus forms of canned products and
other prepared meat foods goes
through many processes, In all OF
which there is possibility of contami-
nation through unsanitry handling and
further danger through the use of
chemicals During all these processes
there Is no government inspection, |
although these products when sent out
bear a label stating they have been |
passed upon by government inspectors. |
The report arraigns the sanitary pro
vision in the buildings as abominable |
and says the men and women plunge |
their unwashed hands in the meat |
10 be converted into food products !
The report says the burden OF protect |
Ing the cleanliness and wholesomeness
Df the products and the health of the |
workers and improving the conditions
must fall upon the national govern.
nent.
Department superintendent seem |
10 ignore all considerations except the |
account book" and the proper care of
the products and of health and com |
fort OF the employees Is impossible anu |
the consumer consequently suffers. |
victims expectorate on
the spongy wooden floors Of the dark |
work rooms from which falling scraps |
NJ meat are later shoveled up 10 be
later converted into food products.
Even the ordinary decencies of life
are completely ignorsd." says the re-
port In discussing the arrangements
for men and women employees. The
report says:
"The whole situation as we saw II
In these huge establishment tends
and inevitably to the NOR
al degradation of thousands of work
ers. who are forced to spend their
working hours under conditions that
are entirely Unnecessary and unpar-
donable and which are q constsnt
menace not only to their own health.
but 10 the health OF those who use the
food products prepared by them