The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-06-07
REEKINC With FILTH.
Big Packing Houses a Menace
to Public Health
A BLOT ON COMMON DECENCY

A BLOT ON COMMON DECEkCY
The Report is Only Preliminary, the
President Being Anxious for Spe-
cial Legislation--More is to Come
Revelations That WIN Concern
The People.
Washington, Special.-The report
of Messrs Reynolds and Neill, ap-
pointed a special committee by Presi-
dent Roosevelt 10 investigate the
workings of the packing houses and
stock yards, was presented to Con-
gress by the President. The report
although confined to personal investi-
g2lons and giving only such informa-
ton as come under the personal OBJ
servation of the committee. reveals
some startling facts. Messrs. Rey-
nolsds and Neill explain that the in
vestlgafions are not yet ended and
that many reports in connection with
the unsanitary conditions of the pack
ing houses and stock yards are yet
to come out.
The Presidents Message.
The Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
transmit herewith the report of
ldr. James Bronson Reynolds and
Commissioner Charles p Neill, the
special committee whom | appointed
to investigate into the conditions in
the stockyards of Chicago and report
thereon to me. This report is of a
preliminary nature l submit it to you
now because it shows the urgent need
of immediate action by the Congress
in the direction of providing a dras-
tic and thoroughgoing inspection by
the Federal government of all stock
yards and packing houses and of their
products, so far as the latter enter
into Interstate or foreign commerce.
The condition shown by even this
short inspection to exist in the
| Chicago stockyardss sa1er'revolting. 1t
is imperatlvely necessary in the in.
terest Of health ar lecencv that they
should be radically changed. Under
the existing law it is wholly impossible
to secure satisfactory results.
When my attention was first di-
ii,rected to this matter an investiga-
tion was made under the Bureau OF
Animal Industry of the Department
of Agriculture. When the prelimi
nary statements of this investigation
were brought to my attention they
showed such defects in the law and
such wholly and unexpected condi
tions that | deemed it best to have
further immediate investigation BY
men not connected with the bureau
and accordingly appointed Messrs
Reynolds and Ncill. 1t was impos
I sible under the existing law that sat
! isfactory work should be done by the
Bureau of Animal Industry. | an
now, however, examining the way ii
which the work actually was done.
Before | had received the report o.
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill had di
rected that labels placed upon an.
package Of meat food product SHOULD
state only the carcass of the anima
from which the meat was taken hat
been inspected at the time of slaugh
ter. If inspection of meat food pro
ducts at all stages Of preparation il
not secured by the passage of tn,
legislation recommended | shall fee
compelled to order that inspection
labels and certificates on canned pro
duets shall not be used hereafter.
Premises not Kept Clean.
The report shows that the stock
yards and packing houses are no
kept even reasonably clean. and tha
the method Of handling and prepar
ing food products is uncleanly an,
dangerous to health. Under existing
law the national government has n
power to enforce inspection of tn
many forms of prepared meat foo
products that are daily going iron
the packing houses into inter-Stat
commerce, Owing to an inadequat
appropriation the Department of Az
riculture is not even able to plac
, inspectors in all establishments desiI
ing them. The present law prohibit
, the shipment of uninspected meat t
: foreign countries, but there is no pre-
5 vision forbidding the shipment of ur
] inspected meats in Interstate CON
], merce, and thus the avenues of inter
s State commerce are left open to tra1
: fic in diseased or spoiled meats. i
as has been alleged on seemingl
good authority further evils exis
such as the improper use of chem
Gals and dyes, the government lack
power to remedy them. A law
needed which will enable the inspe,
= tors of the general government
e inspect and supervise from the hoe
, to the can the preparation of tt