The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-23
PUBLIC POLLUTION
AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
Walter Thomas Mills Has Some
thing to Say About This
muck Rake" Business.
Great Socialist Writer Analyses
Troubled Position Of Chicago
Meat Packers.

Upton Sinclair charged in "The Jun
gle'' and Is ready to prove in court
that the Chicago packers regularly pre-
pare and sell for food in the worlds
market both disease and filth. His
statements were challenged and spe-
cial commission appointed which has
completely confirmed HIS charges both
as to the disease and as to filth In the
packing house products.
The president of the United States.
it is stated in the public press, Is hes
itating to make public all the facts In
his possession lest the European buy
ers who are now buying this disease
mixed with filth may discontinue
their purchases and so injure the bus
mess Of farmers who are raising the
diseased cattle and of the packers
who are marketing them
1t is long time since man, like
some Of his cousins among the brutes,
only ate what he killed himself and re-
fused for food the carrion bodies
which were slain by others. It is not
so long ago that each family raised,
slaughtered and consumed Its own
meat, but modern industrial organiza-
ton has come and with it the great
cattle ranches. stock yards, packing
houses and a world market; and with
these whatever affects the meat busi-
ness anywhere affects it everywhere.
THIS meat business has become so
vast that it cannot be owned by in
n ivi1 Ia
not be carried on by individuals. Or
ganiZat1on is necessary In which each
worker does a part and vast army
Of workers are involved in doing it
all. Nevertheless, the same private
ownership by which the individual
farmer owned his barn yard and the
Individual hunter owned his butcher
knife has been extended to this mod
ern organization Of the meat business,
and what the many must use the few
are permitted privately to own and
manage, in order to obtain the largest
possible returns for themselves and
that at the expense of the many. This
situation is inherent in modern CAPT.
talism.
Filth is cheaper tina ncleanliness. 1t
destroy rather than to market tuber-
culosis and lumpy jay. The mana
gers Of the packing houses are not re-
sponsible for the health of the people.
They are responsible to the good and
respectable stockholders for the pay
ment of dividends. Disease and filth
pay dividends. Responsibility and
greed accept the dividends and con-
| tinue to maintain, because it pays, in
the midst of great city. the greatest
center Of blood poisoning and pollu-
ton anywhere on the face of the
earth. /
The government interferes to regu-
| late the business in behalf of the good
health of the masses and these same
good people continue to hire mana
gers to run the stock yards who will
tolerate filth and market poison, and
besides employ other men to run the
government in such way that the
stock yards shall be permitted to in
| spect the inspector rather than the
inspector inspect the stock yards.
1t is claimed that Philip D. Armour
died because the burden of infamy in
his share Of the management of this
| great business was greater than he
| could longer bear. But the end of
Armour did not make an end of the
infamies which had slain him as we'll
as his victims This public wrong is
possible only because of the great pri-
vate profits in doing this wrong.
There is only one way to make an end
Of the wrong, and that is by taking
an end of the cause of the wrong.
Great private interests in public af-
fairs will cease to rob the public and
to corrupt the government in order
that they may rob the public only
when these great private interests in
public affairs shell A--mselves cease
to exist. Socialism will provide 70,
the public ownership and public man.
agement, by that share Of the public
most directly concerned, Of all public
affairs and for the private OWNERSHIP
and private management of all priya te
affairs. Then the making and market
ing Of disease and filth will disappear
because the only possible motive fo]
doing so will also have disappeared
NNuY