The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-06-04
Sends
In Report T o-day

LII 14NCpO4 L ! O.uay
wASHrNGToN, D. c.. June A.
Disclosures soshorrifying as to be al
most beyond belief are made in a spe-
cial report on Chicago packing
houses, prepared by Charles P. Neill.
Commissioned of Labor and James B.
Reynolds, of New York and submit
ted to Congress to-day by President
Roosevelt The report was read in
the House, the Senate having adjourn
ed after a brief session out of respect
to the memory OF Senator German
deceased. In a message accompany
ing the report, the President charac-
terizes the conditions found by the
investigators as -revoltinS" and urges
Immediate and drastic legislation --in
interests OF health and decency-" The
message and report are as follows-
The Senate and House of Representa-
transmit herewith the report of
Mr.. James Bronson Reynolds and
SCommissioner Charles P. Neill. the
special committee whom appointed
TO investigate into the conditions in
Sthe stock yards Of Chicago and re
port thereon to me. This report is
sofa preliminary nature 1 submit it
to you now because it shows the ur-
gent need of Immediate action by the
Congress in the direction of proviJ-
ing a drastic thorough going inspec-
ton by the Federal Government of all
stock yards and packing houses and
Sof their products, so far as the latter
enter into interstate or foreign com
merce. The conditions shown by even
this short inspection TO exist in the
Chicago stock yards are revolving. It
lis imperatively necessary in the in
terest of health and of decency that
they should be radically changed
Under the existing law it is wholly inn
possible to secure satisfactory re
suits
rected 20 this matter an Investigation
was made under the Bureau of Ami
mai Industry of the Department Of
Agriculture When the preliminary
statements of this Investigation We're
brought TO my attention they showed
Sucn defects in the Law and such who'll
a1y unexpected conditions that I deem
ate investigation by men not connect
ed with the Bureau, and accordingly
appointed MeSSrs. Reynolds and Nei1l
It was impossible under the existing
Law that satisfactory work should be
done by the. Bureau OF Animal Indus
try am now. however. examining
the way in which the work actually
was done.
Before I had received the report of
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill I had di-
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 an stages Of preparation
Is not secured by the passage of the
Legislation recommended SHALL feel
compelled to order that Inspection Ia
bels and certificates on canned prod
ucts shall not be used hereafter
The report shows that the stock
yards and packing houses are not kept
even reasonably clean, and that the
method Of handling and preparing
food products is uncleanly and dan
gerous to health Under existing law
the National Government mas no
power to enforce inspection of the
many forms OF prepared meat food
products that are daily going from
the packing houses into interstate
commerce Owing to an Inadequate
the Department OF Ag-
IicnIture Is not even able to pIaeesin-