The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-05-31
AND GOOD
MEATS IS The CALL
Senate Takes Action ii Line
With Presidents Wishes
for Inspection.
-
$4,000 FINE PROPOSED
Roosevelt Speaks Plainly Concerning
the Bad Conditions in Packing
Houses and Insists on Inns
provement.

ate passed the agricultural appropria-
ton bill carrying an appropriation OF
S7,SO0,O00 and without a word of de-
pate or an objection from any source
added to 1T as an amendment the bill
providing for an inspection of fresh
meats intended for domestic consump-
ton.
The provision is along the general
lines of the law for the inspection of
meats intended to be shipped abroad
and the work is delegated to the
bureau of animal industry.
1t requires that acceptable meats
shall be labeled and Suthorlzes the de-
struction of condemned products. It
also authorizes inspection OF all ami
mails before they enter the packing
houses and requires that these estab-
lishments shall be maintained in a
sanitary condition; gives the inspectors
access to all departments of them and
forbids interstate commerce In fresh
meats which are not marked by the In
spection. Thu expense of the inspec-
ton is to be borne by the owners and
a fine of $4,000 n Imprisonment for
two years are fixed as the penalties
for the violation OF the provision.
President Means Business.
Chicago. May pa Washington
special to the TRIBUNE says: The con-
lition of the packing houses at Chicago
was severely criticized by President
Roosevelt during an interview he had
Nth William L. Skinner and w. T..
Carlisle, representing the live stock in
ttves Madden Of Chicago, Cox Of New
York, and Brooks Of Colorado.
Mr.. Skinner Is the representative of
the Union Stock Yards company at
Chicago and Mr.. Carlisle is dean Of the
National Agricultural college of Colo
RADIO. These men, in accordance with
the request of live stock interests ali
over the country, conferred with the
packers on Monday, and then came to
Washington to see h president.
h president announced that he pro-
posed to see conditions, Of which COM
plants nave been made, in the packing
houses changed as promptly as pos
sible; that the buildings should be res
modelled in order to obtain better ven
tilation and more light; that ample
toilet facilities should be provided for
employees, far enough removed from the
rooms in which meat was prepared sor
food to prevent contamination, and thai
there should be lavatories to insure perl
sonal cleanliness.
Packers Ready to Act.
Speaking for the live stock interests
and for the packers, Mr.. Skinner as
sured the president that the packers
had authorized him to state that If the
president would appoint a commission
of high grade scientific sanitation ex-
perts, including one practical man
verscd In inspection and animal hus-
bandry, they would be glad to adopt
any suggestions the commission might
make for improvements or changes not
only in the method Of slaughtering but
in the sanitary conditions Of packing
houses.
' Mr.. Skinner went a step farther than
the packing houses proposed. He urged
the president to appoint a national sani-
tary commission which should be auth
nrtvn1 Tn Iao1 uyifh tho v,hn1a. S11hiarf
of food products. He represented that
1t was unfair to single out one industry
to the exclusion Of all others and make
it a subject Of criticism SO as to injure
II throughout the world.
After the exploitation Of the "em-
balmed beef" charges by General Miles.
following the Spanish war, the packing
houses. and, as Mr.. Skinner termed the
cattlemen, 1.-The innocent bystanders,'
suffered a considerable decrease In the
sale Of their products. Apprehension
Is expressed that the same result win
follow from the agitation which now
exists and which the president, 1t Is
claimed, is aiding through the investi-
CATION he has made and Is making.
Crusade for Clean Meat.
The presidents concern, however, lis
to secure fresh, clean, uncontaminated
meat for the American people and to
remove the suspicion which exists
| ABROAD r6RuTulHB our I1tdl pIOulCtSp
and which necessarily affects the extent
Of the sales. He assured his callers
today he was most anxious the indus
try should not be disastrously affected.
At the same time he said he intended
to see that proper sanitary conditions
existed. and he wanted 1t to be dis
tinctly understood once those condi-
lions were established he would not
permit any let up in their enforcement.
The president stated he had not re-
ceived as yet the official report OF
Messrs. Nein and Reynolds, who were
sent recently to Chicago to investigate
the packing houses. but a description
Of the conditions which have been given
him by those men confirmed the Of
fensive charges contained in the ar
ticles printed by the London Lancet in
1905.
London Lancet Charges Confirmed.
The Lancet referred to the fact that
condemned carcasses We're disposed OF
on the same floor and in close proAim-
ity to beef which was ~pronounced
wholesome. 1t described the filthy con-
dition Of the floors upon which the
men expectorated and along which III
meat was dragged. AS considerable
tuberculosis has prevailed among the
employees there was grave danger that
the bacilli would attach themselves to
the meat. and in this way consumption
would be spread. not only over the
United States but to England and 9TH
er countries.
Among the improvements suggested
by the writer of the article We're an
increase Of toilet facilities, proper and
adequate lavatories. the building Of
absolutely water tight flooring and
paving, the constant flushing with wa
ter and steam. and the erection Of de-
structors away from slaughter house.
where carcasses condemned by the
government inspectors should be de-
stroyed.
The Lancet also stated that many
! enrloye- work in overheated and damp
atmosphere, and others in chilly and
cold storage rooms, with the result that
tuberculosis, diseases of the respiratory
organs, rheumatism, and heart disease
had developed.
RECEIVED RY MIKADo.
Toxic, May 26.-Ambassador Wright
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