Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-06-13
SAYS ONLY LITTLE
PACKERS ARE BAD
BIG ONES SAY THE CHARGES OF
FILTH TOUCH THEM NOT.
BUMPED BY Or. NELL
Author of Report to Roosevelt Gives
the Lie to Denials of Representa-
tive of Nelson Morris PIant-At
tempt to Shift Blame to Small
Concerns.

Washington, June IA statement
was made before the house committee
on agriculture by Thomas Wilson,
manager for the Nelson Morris pack
ing company. 1t was a carefully pre-
pared document Besides making
general denial of the allegations
made in the Neill-Reynolds report 70
President Roosevelt, Mr.. Wilson also
went into some of the details of that
report in an effort to controvert state
ments of the presidents representa-
tives
In regard to the interior of work
rooms Mr.. Wilson said that any per-
son would be pleased with their
Clearly appearance before a days kill
ing and dressing is begun. and that
persons not used to packing houses
might be disguised with the condition
of the same rooms several hours
later. He contended, however, that
there were no unwholesome conditions
there. Every day, he said, all the
WINS tstpiC9B u uShS anu uINLo4Ao Va
all kinds are washed as clean as wa
ter and scrubbrush can make them.
Speaking of the charge that there are
some rooms where there are no con-
nections with outside air, Wilson said
that Neill and Reynolds doubtless
had reference to the chill rooms,
where for obvious reasons windows
could not be employed. In answer
to the charge that windows of other
rooms were so dirty that they would
not admit light, Wilson said that at
the time the inspection was made by
Neill and Reynolds the windows were
out entirely in order to let in all the
air and light possible.
AS Good as Hotels.
The charge that there were toilet
rooms off from work rooms was ad-
mitted and the practice defended as
not being more unsanitary than 4
toilet room off a bedroom in a first
class hotel, as the toilets were kept
in good condition
Wilson questioned the charge made
in the Neill-Reynolds report that the
carcass of a hog had slipped from a
carrier into a privy and had been
picked up and placed with the clean
carcasses. He called upon Neill to
state that it did not happen in one of
the big packing houses.
at did happen in one of the big
concerns Neill replied emphatically.
Although requested by members of
the committee to state which one,
Neill refused.
"But some of the very things Mr..
Wilson has just now denied" he said,
happened at the Nelson Norris
plant"
Asked about the statement that en-
ployes relieved themselves on the
floor, Wilson was inclined to question
This entirely If it was seen it must
have been in one of the smaller
houses.
ave Big Ones Are Clean"
''Mr. Reynolds Or DR.. Neill would
have to stand around a long time to
see anything of that kind in large
packing house" he said, "and any
man doing it would be instantly dis
charged.
He denied that girls were COM
PEELED to stand while working, saying
that there were places for them to
sit down. Rooms were provided in
which the employers might eat, and
all the big packers furnished coffee
TO employees for one cent cup.
Admits Names as Lies.
Considering the Beveridge amend
ment. Wilson said the packers would
prefer that labels on the can might
be omitted, Wilson admitted that
the names Of their products did not
describe the article. AS an example,
he said his firm sold oxford" sau-
sage, which was pork sausage sold
under the name oxford" Another
article named Brown" was simply
beef stew.
Representative Lorimer added that
Brown" contained beef, pork, pota-
toes, carrots, etc.
"As matter of fact" asked Rep
resentative Scott, "is anything you
put up called potted chicken which
is not chicken?''
mo sir, our potted chicken is
entirely of chicken and our potted
turkey is made of turkey"
Wilson made number of objec-
tions to certain provisions of the Bev-
eridge amendment, especially those
relative to restrictions on shipments