Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-05
PACKERS DENY ALL CHARGES
Chicago Meat Kings Make Extended Reply
to McNeill- Reynolds Report
THEY SAY THEIR PLANTS ARE CLEAN
Methods Are sanitary and Their
Products whOIesOme-Report of
Two Expert biologists
Quoted.

Quoted.
CHICAGO June A-Eight OF the big pack
ing establishments in Chicago issued a
joint statement tonight replying 10 the
charges made in the Neill- Raymond report
of the investigation of the packing plants
and President Roosevelts message to con-
gress The packers declare that their
plants are clean, their methods of msnufac-
ture sanitary their products wholesome
and that for years doctors. chemists, sani-
tarians and official investigators from prac-
tically every civilized nation who have
made examinations of the meat packing
plants have been satisfied in every in
stance with the conditions existing in this
industry. Despite this, the packers assert,
that they stand ready to adopt any prac-
tical suggestions for improvements. The
companies which signed the statement are
Armour & Co.. Swift and Company. Nelson
Morris & Co. G. II. Hammond Co., Omaha
Packing company, Anglo o-American Provi-
sion company, Libby Mcneil & Libby,
schwarzschild. sulzberger & Co.
The statement follows:
Text of the Statement.
The question raised as to whether dis
is one on which the whole world wants the
facts, and the truth must be told II the
nleat and live stock industry Is to nave a
Square deal" This vital side OF the
whole question, however, is absolutely ig-
nored in President Rooselevts message
and all but omitted from notice in the
Every pound OF meat in our packing
houses comes from animals which are IN
agents of the Department of Agriculture.
This is the absolute fact. We are not
interested in animals condemned DetoEe
slaughter. We do not buy them. Every
before and after slaughter in ACCORDANCE
with the strictcst inspection regulations
cepting Germany. Every. animal carcass
that does not pass this rigid Inspection ls
condemned and disposed of under the per
sonal supervision of the agents of the
United States Department OF Agriculture.
The administration at washington knows
these facts. The writers OF the Nelli-
Reynolds report know them. That these
are the facts is reluctantly admitted in
their report, but even this slight assurance
TO the public is almost buried in the tall
end of what they have written.
Many Animals Condemned.
We have been believers in rigid animal
and meat inspection since the inspection
was first inaugurated. We have shown our
belief in It by shOuldering for the beneht
of the industry annual loss of approx
mately 81 600 000-our loss on animals which
are bought as healthy and condemned
on inspection after slaughter. And now
in spite of persistent misrepresentation,
we are heartily in favor of making this in
spection more efficient, II that can be done,
and of extending operation of the law TO
cover the sanitary conditions of the pack
ing houses.
Il is to be regretted that Megsrs Neill
and Reynolds did not get a practical light
on their subject before writing a report IN
! which u is apparently assumed that blood,
grease and the every day incidents OF
animal slanghterinR are dirt. In contrast
wi we a
| port on packing house conditions by Prof.
T. J. Burrill, Phi. D..sviee president and
OF Illinois, and Prof. h s. Grindley. profes-
sor OF chemistry at the same institution.
Two Experts Quoted.
| This report by Profs. Burrill and Grindley
/ which recites the results of an investiga-
] tion made within ten days, is offered by
| detailed allegations of Messrs. Neill and
/ Reynolds. After going into details and
| asserting that general conditions in the meal
4 packing industry are as good as could he
! expected under the circumstances. their re-
"Our observations makes it impossib!,
| for us to believe the horrible stories re-
/ Gently appearing in print, or that anything
4 approaching the described conditions in this
industry really exists: Il was apparent tc
us that the. work of the government in.
! spectors was done in strict accordance with
! the regulations issued by the Bureau OF
| Animal Industry. The Condemned carcasseE
| or parts of carcasses are followed by these
i officials, Notwithstanding statements to the
contrary, to the rendering tanks and thes,
! tanks are sealed and unsealed in theiI
presence and only in their presence II
! these men are competent for their work
and they appeared to us to be performing
! their duties, II is impossible for the mack
! ers, II they 80 desired, to use unlawfully
condemned animals or carcasses.
we paid particular attention to tn,
charges that the employees spit on places
which come in contact with the products
! we saw only one man expectorate durinI
our investigation, and he was a govern
\ ment official. The packing bIfsiness Is fo
butchers and anyone having any connec
ton with the actual work has no use 70
dress suits or kid gloves, as It is not mill
ners or jewelers. work We did not fine
1 anything seriously repugnant to cleanliness
\ or wholesOmeness in the operations or pro
cedures. but we did find desire on the par
OF all employees with whom we came in con
fact TO avoid unclean practices"
Ready for Suggestions.
Continuing. the packers say;
In the light Of what we are doing, w
have a right we believe, to protest agains
! hasty and empirical judgments that serv
only TO put weapons in the hands of forelgi
COMPETITORS OF he American live stock an,
meat producing industry. This phase of tn
question cannot be evaded. Al the risk o
being accused OF trying to hide behind tn
farmer. we say that hasty nl-digested. in
temperate criticism Of American packing
houses, strike not at the packers, but a
steer for market Without the foreign mar
ket created by the packing industry, tn
American stock growers business woull
be absolutely stripped of profit
When investigation by Messrs. Neill an
Reynolds was undertaken. we assumed tina
its purpose was TO forward improvement Il
packing house conditions. II Improvement
could be devised, rather than TO gather am
munition for an attack upon the live stoc
and meat producing industry. Acting upO
this belief we invited from these investi
gators and from President Roosevelt an
practical suggestions they could make 10
the Improvement OF packing house condi
tions and at the same time we guarantee
that the suggestions would be carried oul
We know our methods are good. but W
stand ready 10 adopt any practical sug