Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-08
DEFENDS HIS COURSE
Chairman Wadsworth Makes a
Somewhat, Heated Statement.
CLAIMS HE'S JUSTIFIED
Resumption Of Packing House In
vestigation.
JAMES B. REYNOLDS HEARD
Reiterates Assertions In His Report
Representative Wharton Speaks
for His Constituents.
JAMES B. REYNOLDS HEAR1

During the examination of James B. Rey-
nolds the co-author with Commissioner
Neill of the beef report, this morning be-
fore the House committee on agriculture
Investigating the packing houses, Chair
man Wadsworth made a somewhat heated
statement setting forth his reasons for
questioning Mr.. Nein yesterday, and said
he should feel free to question the present
witness.
Il may be called friend of the pack
ers," he said. II am a. friend of the
packers and friend Of all other American
Industries. do not believe In fouling our
own American nest. We are here as mem
bers of the agricultural committee Of the
House Of Representatives to promote Amer
lean agriculture, not to tnjure 1t or to cast
aspersion on it,
This report has cost the AGRICULTURAL In
terests of this country millions and mil
lions of dollars, and If our foreign demand
decreases In the next two weeks as it has
In tne past two weeks the value of Ameri
can live stock will decrease anywhere from
30 to 90 per cent hundred pounds
But for the publication of this report"
continued Mr.. Wadsworth, 1.-The foreign de-
mand would have gone on as 1t had in the
past. There was absolutely no complaint.
NOW claim as an individual member of
this committee the right to find out from
these gentlemen, and don't mean in any
onensive way. to find out absolutely wheth-
ed these statements are facts from per-
sonal observation, as they claim they are,
or whether they are made on assumption"
Continuing, he said the questions he had
asked Mr.. Neill yesterday regarding that
unfortunate hog had shown conclusively
that he did not know whether the hog was
afterwards cleaned not.
At this point Representative Lamb (va)
wanted to know IL the chairman was sum-
ming up the testimony.
Thinks He Was Justified.
mo, SIR" replied Mr.. Wadsworth. II
an, talking Of what 1 was criticised for
yesterday, because 1 propose to ask Mr..
Reynolds the same questions. In my own
Judgment I was perfectly justified in ask
ing those questions" Then addressing him.
self to Mr.. Reynolds he put the question:
DO you know whether that hog was
sent to be canned or salted uncleanedT'
II do not" was the reply.
Don't you think that statement In your
letter of transmittal which says that the
matters set forth in the report was founded
on fact, was not quite true?"
II do not. sir. no. / think the statement
is perfectly true"
But did you see that hog go to the can?
Explain it any way you please. 1 do not
want to embarrass you or examine you as
a pettifogger."
The reply to this was reiteration of
un6 circumstance lHdt tIe EOS ieii anu was
made filthy, picked up and placed with
the others.
Mr.. Haskins (vt.) said that this was all
that was stated in the report.
Mr.. Wadsworth maintained that the fair
inference was that the hog had never been
cleaned.
'I am not concerned with inferences." re-
marked Mr.. Reynolds.
You heard what Mr.. Neill said yester-
day-that in his opinion the hog went to
the can uncleaned?' asked Mr. Wads-
worth.
The witness believed Mr. Neill had
right to his own opinion.
Neill Makes a Statement.
Mr.. Neill here asked to make statement.
in view of the fact that his testimony of
yesterday had been called in question by
the chairman.
II want to state" he began. that what
stated yesterday was my opinion-that
by any fair construction of the English
language we did not say as fact that at
no time in the weeks and weeks after We
left no effort was made to clean that hog"
The time to have cleaned 1t was imme-
diately, he maintained. otherwise Its iden-
tity would have been lost with the others.
ut is not fair" he declared, Ito take a
statement / made yesterday as my belief
and try to add it to the report and say we
are giving matter of belief for matter
II will refer the gentleman to his own
statement" commented Mr.. Wadsworth
And I am perfectly willing 10 stand on
It," retorted Mr.. Neill.
Mr. Haskins here poured oil the wa
ters by saying he heard no questions yes
terday that were improper.
Canning and Preserving Criticised.
Before the discussion took place Mr..
Reynolds had been asked his previous ex-
perience to qualify him to make the meat
report.
II have no official position now" he re-
piled, and then ST. ed he had had eight
years experience in university settlement
work In New York, had been two years
in the past few years had been travelling.
HIS profession was that of lawyer.
Twelve years ago he had incidentally WIS.,
tied the stock yards in Chicago and had
also visited the stock yards in Berlin. In
the latter place, he said. the work was done
under city regulations. He was impressed
by the absence of wood and the constant
cleaning going on They were even clean
ing the cars which brought in the stock.
There was no canning going on. He did
not recall any superiority in actual killing
over Chicago
He said he had received no notice of the
first hearing and had not heard Mr.. Will
sons statement. AS to Mr.. Neills testi-
mony. there was nothing In 1t he wished to
modify. In particular he wished to substan-
tiate Mr.. Neill regarding the shoveling of
pieces of meat from the floor of the Nelson
Morris Company. He saw the operation.
Mr.. Reynolds was taken over his report
by members of the committee, and reiter-
ated it in detail.
The criticisms he said, had reference In
particular to the process OF preserving and
canning meat He saw men whom he be-
Heved had tuberculosis. He saw them spit
on the floor. He saw meat on the floor.
Dressed Fresh Meats Clean.
Switched again to the dressed meats, Mr..
Reynolds stated that, generally speaking.
fresh meats left Chicago in good condI-
ton. They were wei washed and cleanly.
Representative Brooks tCol.) brought out
that according to the census the fresh heef
OF the packers. 1t covers practically All fthe
mutton and 80 per cent of the hog product
In view of these statistics. Mr.. Brooks
got the assent Of the witness to this, but
Mr. Neill seriously objected. He was not