The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-04
SHOCKING
FILTHINESS

upon fresh meat being shoveled into bar
rels. and a regular proportion being added
| OF stale scraps that had lain on dirty
| floor in the corner OF a room for some
days previous.
In another establishment equally, well
| known, a long table was noted covered
| with several hundred pounds Of cooked
scraps OF beef and otner meats. Some
OF these meat scraps were dry, leathery
! and unfit 10 be eaten. and I'm the heap
were found pieces of pigskin and even
| some bits OF rope strands and other rub
bish Inquiry evoked the frank admission
from the man In charge that this was
to be ground up and used in making
"potted ham"
All OF these canned products bear labels
OF which the following is a sample:
ABATTOIR NO. 49,.
The contents OF this package
have been inspected according TO
the act OF congress OF March g.
1891.
QUALITY GUARANTEED.
The phraseology OF these labels is
wholly yunwarranted. The government in
spectors pass only upon the healthfulness
OF the animal at the time OF killing. They
know nothing of the processes through
which the meat has passed since this i'm
spection. They do not know what else
may have been placed In the cans In ad-
dition to inspected meat" AS a matter
OF fact they know nothing about the
contents" OF the can upon which the
packers place these labels-do not even
know that II contains what IT purports
TO contain.
The legend Quality guaranteed" imme-
diately following the statement as TO gov
ernment inspection is wholly unjusthab.e.
II deoelves and is plainly designed TO de-
ceive the average purchaser, who natural
ly infers from the label that the govern
ment guarantees the contents OF the can
10 be what IL purports 20 be.
MoLpY CANNED MEATS.
In another establishment piles of sau-
sages and dry moldy canned meats. ad-
mittedly several years old, were found,
which the superintendent stated 10 us
would be tanked and converted into
grease. The disposition to be made OF
this was wholly optional with the super
intendents or representatives OF the pack
ers. as the government does not concern
itself with the disposition OF meats after
they have passed inspection on the kill
ing floor.
II might all be treated with chemicals,
mixed with other meats turned out in
any form of meat product desired, and
yet the packages or receptacles In which
II was TO be shipped out 10 the public
would be marked with a label that their
contents had been government inspect
ed IL is not alleged here that such use
WAS 10 be made OF this stun. The case is
pointed out as one showing the glaring
opportunity for the misuse OF a labed
bearing the name and the implied guar
anty of the United States government.
Another instance OF abuse in the use
or the labels came to our notice. In two
different establishments great stocks OF old
canned goods were being put through a
washine process TO remove the old labels
They were then subjected to sufficient
| heat TO lven up the contents-to use
the phrase OF the room superintendent
After this. fresh> labels, with the govern
ment name on them, were TO be placed
upon the cans. and they were TO bo sent
out bearing all the evidence OF being a
freshly put-up product. In one OF these
instances. by the admission of the SUI
perintendent, the stock thus being re-
labeled was over two years old. In the
other case the superintendent evaded a
statement OF how old the goods were.
TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES.
The lack of consideration for the health
and comfort OF the laborers In the Chi
cago stock yards seems to be direct CON
sequence OF the system OF administration
that prevails. The various departs. ents
are under the direct control OF superin
tendents who claim 10 use full authority
In dealing with the employees, and who
seem 10 Ignore all considerations except
those OF the account book
Under this system proper care Of tho
products and OF the health and comfort
or the employees Is impossible and the
consumer suffers In consequence The
insanitary conditions I'm which the laborera
work ana the feverish pace which they
are forced TO maintain inevitably AFFECT
their health. Physicians state that tu
beroulosis Is disproportionately prevalent
In the stock yards, and the victims OF this
disease expectorate on the spongy wooden
noors OF the dark work rooms from
winch railing scraps OF meat are later
shoveled up to be converted into food
products
Even the ordinary decencies OF life are
completely Ignored. In practically ali
suses the doors OF the toilet rooms open
uTecLN INTO the working rooms the priv
les OF men and women frequently ndioin
hnu the entrances are sometimes no more
man foot or two apart. In other cases
there are no privies for women In tho
rooms In which they work. and To reach
the nearest IL is necessary 10 20 up or
down couple of flights OF stairs.
the n waono 4nT n0ueeapie Instance the prlvy for
rooms was fn a room In which men chiefly
were employed, and every girl going ~
,nso use this had to pass by the working
enter the privy the door OF which was nor
SIN feet from the working place of one OF
the men operatives. As previously noted.
IN the privies for men and women alike
tnere are no partitions but simply a long
row or open seats. Rest rooms where
tired women workers might 20 for n short
rest. were found as rare exceptions. and
IN some establishments women are even
placed In charge OF privies chiefly for the
purpose, " was stated. TO see that the girl
dd not absent themselves too long from
their work under the excuse OF Visiting
them. 'e
In some Instances what was called a
rest room was simply one end OF the
prlvy partiuoned of by a 6-foot partitjon
from from The remaining Enclosure A few girls
were found using this. not only as rest
room, but as the only available place I'm
which TO sit TO eat their luncheon.
Much OF the work I'm connection with
the handling OF meat has to be carried
on In rooms OF low temperature but
even here a callous regard was everv
where seen Tor the comfort OF those who
WORKED IN these rooms. Girls and women
were round In rooms registering tom.
perature OF 2 degrees r. without any
ventilation whatever, depending entireiy
upon artificial light. The floors wore u,a,