The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-05
ABATToIR NO. -.
The contents Of this package have
been inspected according to the
act of congress of
March 3, 1891.
QUALITY GUARANTEED.

! QUALITY GUARANTEED.
wholly of r these s9e1s i
inspectors. pass only upon the health-.
fulness Of the animal at the time Of
killing. They know nothing of the
processes. thru which the meat has
passed since it's inspection. They do
not not, know 9! what else may have been
spected meat. > As matter Of fact,
they know nothing about the con-
tents. Of the can upon which the pack
ers place these labels-do not even
know that it contains what it purports
to contain. The legend equality guar
anteed' Immediately following the
statement as to government inspection
is plainly designed to deceive the aver
age purchaser, who naturally infers
from the label that the government
guarantees the contents Of the can 10
be what It -purports to be.
In another establishment piles of
sausages and dry moldy canned meats.
aadmitttedlly. several years old, were
to US would be tanked and 'I converted
into grease. The disposition to be
made Of this was wholly optional with
the superintendent or representatives
Of the packers, as the government does
not concern itself with the disposition
Of meats after they have passed inspec-
ton on the killing floor. It might all
be treated with chemicals, mixed with
meat product desired, and yet the pack
ages. or receptacles in which it was to
be shipped out to the public would be
marked with a label that their con-
tents had been Government, inspect
ed. ~ 1t is not alleged here that such
use was to be made Of this stuff. The
case is pointed out as one showing the
label bearing the name and the i'm
piled guaranty Of the United States
government. p. f.. ~s1:.. e. ~.~.
Another Instance OF abuse in the use
of the label came to our notice. In two
different establishments great stocks
Of old canned goods were being put
thru washing process to remove the
to sufficient heat to liven up' the
contents-to use the phrase of the room
superintendent. After this, fresh labels,
with the government name. on them,
were to be placed upon the cans. and
they were to be sent out bearing all the
evidence Of being, 2 freshly put up
product. In one of these instances, by
the stock thus being relabeled was over
two years old. In the other case, the
superintendent evaded a statement OF
how old the goods were. ..5-. .s--~.,,,
v.-Treatment Of Employees. Il
The lack Of consideration. for the
health and comfort Of the. laborers in
the Chicago *stockyards seems to be a
direct consequence Of the system OF ad-
ministration that prevails. The ,vari-
GUS departments are under the direct
control Of superintendent who claim
| to use full authority in dealing with
the employees, and who seem to ignore
all considerations except those Of the
account book. Under this system prop
er care of the products and Of the
health and comfort of the employees is
impossible, and the consumer suffers in
consequence. The insanltary condl,
the feverish pace which they are forced
to maintain inevitably affect their
health. Physicians state that tubercu
losis is disproportionately prevalent in
the stockyards, and the victims Of this
/ disease expectorate on the spongy wood
en- floors Of the dark Workrooms, from
:. which falling scraps of meat are later
shoveled up to be converted into food
products. q
Even the ordinary decencies of life
are completely ignored. ~; :. ~.
Much Of the work in connection with
the handling OF meat has to be carried
on in rooms Of low temperature, but
even here a. callous disregard was
those who worked in these rooms. Girls
and women were found in rooms regis
tering . temperature of 38 degree!
without any ventilation whatever de
pending entirely upon artificial light
The floors were wet and soggy, and il
some cases covered with water, SO tina
the girls had to stand in boxes Of saw
dust as a protection for their feet. II
a few cases even drippings from tn
the ceiling upon the heads of, the work
ers and upon the food products beins
prepared. A very slight expense woult
have furnished drier floors and pro
tected them against the trickhngs from
the ceiling. It was asserted by the su
perintendent of these rooms that thi
low temperature was essential to tn
proper keeping Of the meat, but pre-
cisely similar work was found in othe
establishments carried on in rooms KEEP
at fair temperature. In many case
girls of l6, II and 18 years stand tel
hours a day at work, much Of which
could be carried on while sitting down
In several establishments well man
aged restaurants were provided for tn
clerical force, and in one instance
smoking, room was provided for them
but, no provision was found anywher
for place to eat for the male laberers
In pleasant weather they eat thei
luncheon sitting outdoors along tn
edge Of the sidewalk, or any plac
where they can find standing room L
winter, however, and in inclemen
weather, their lunches have to be eatel
in rooms that in many cases are stiflin
and nauseating. Eating rooms are pro
vided in number of places for wome,
workers in the various departments
and in most of the large Establishment
coffee is served them at a penny
cup. Beyond this meager considerable:
for their convenience at meal times
scarcely any evidence is found tina
anyone gave a thought to their CON
fort.
The neglect on the part of their en-
ployers to recognize or provide for tn
requirements Of cleanliness and dc
cency Of the employees must have an il
f1uence that can not be exaggerated i
lowering the morals and discourage
cleanliness on the part of the worker
employed in the packing houses. Th
whole situation as we saw it In thes
huge 5estab ishments tends necessaril
and inevitably to the moral, degred:
| ton. Of thousands of work ers who Al