The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1906-06-14
IN SICKENING DETAIL
THE REPORT SUBMITTED.
Chicago Packing Houses Conducted With
out Regard to Decency.


President Roosevelt, is in part, as
follows:
"As directed by you, we investi-
gated the conditions in the principal
establishments in Chicago en-.
gagged in the slaughter of cattle,
sheep and hogs, and in the prepara-
tion of dressed meat and meat-food
products Two and a half weeks
were spent in the investigation in
'ncago, and during this time we
1fent through the principal packing
houses in the stockyards district, to-
kgether with few of the smaller
mes. day was spent by Mr. Rey-
Cnolds in New York City in the in
vestigation of several of its leading
slaughter houses.
"We have made no statement as a
fact in the report here presented
that was not verified by our personal
examination. Certain matters which
we were unable to verify while in
Chicago are still under investigation.
The following is therefore submitted
as partial report touching upon
those practices and conditions which
we found most common and not con-
fined TO a single house or class of
houses. A more detailed report
would contain many specifications of
defects found in particular houses.
''Before entering the buildings we
noted the condition of the yards
themselves as shown in the pave
ment, pens, viaducts and platforms
The pavements are mostly of brick,
the bricks laid with deep grooves be-
tween them, which inevitably fill
with manure and refuse. Calves,
sheep and hogs that have died en-
route are thrown out upon the plat
forms, where cars are unloaded. On
a single platform on one occasion we
counted fifteen dead hogs, on the
next ten dead hogs. The only execute
given for delay in removal was that
so often heard-the expense.
"The buildings have been con-
structed with little regard to either
ventilation.
OJ NNhllAtlIiOb VI Liz
work-rooms is not found in any of the
establishments we visited. No es-
tablishment visited has as yet aban-
doned the extensive use of wooden
tables and wooden receptacles.
zone of the large plants erected
within recent years has most of the
defects of the other buildings. In
impressive contrast to the conditions
that we saw in the stock yards of
Chicago. is an establishment that
Mr.. Reynolds visited in New York
City. 1t well merits description in
those particulars in which it is vastly
superior to similar conditions in
Chicago.
''Ventilation is everywhere excel
lent and light abundant, both these
matters having evidently received
careful consideration in planning the
building. The effect of all its excel
lencies of construction and arrange
ments is evident in promoting the
care of the products and in elevating
the morals of the workers.
IL Pl lAlOlplOS VI llOn
and same care of the. health and
cleanliness of the workers would
revolutionize the stock yards of Chi
cago, and the attainment of such
standard should be the concern of
the national government and of the
city of Chicago.
"Under existing conditions the
burden of protecting the cleanliness
and whOlesomeness of the products
and health of the workers and of in
proving the conditions under which
the work is performed, must fall upon
the national government. The parts
that are sent from the collng room
to those in the departments of the
packing houses in which various
forms of meat products are prepared
are handled with no regard whatever
for cleanliness. In some of the
largest esta blishments sides that are
sent to what is known as the boning
room are thrown in a heap upon the
floor. The workers climb over these
heaps of meat, select the pieces they
"AoA "io AICdiChIIN LIION IuGLu
down upon the dirty floor beside
their working bench.
Meat scraps were also found being
shoveled into receptacles from dirty
floors where they were left to lie un-
til again shoveled into barrels or into
machines for chopping. We saw
meat shoveled from filthy wooden
floors, piled on tables rarely washed.
pushed from room to room in rotten
box carts, in all of which processes
it was in the way of gathering dirt.
splinters, floor filths and the expec-
toration of tuberculous and other
diseased workmen.
"As an extreme example of the en-
tire disregard on the part of the en-
ployes of any notion of cleanliness in
handling dressed meat, we saw d hog
that had just been killed. cleaned,
wished and started onitS way to the
cooling room fall from the sliding
rail to a dirty floor and slide part
way into 4 filthy mems priyy, 1t