Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-08


ment again for the apitulation Of
his objections.
Mr.. Wilson said in summing up:
we feel it is going to be a difficult
matter to create a law covering the
necessary sanitary regulations regard
ing the packing houses that will be
constitutional. We want a good law
and stringent one. We want the
| sanitary inspection and we want it
thorough
Mr.. Wilson concluded with a renew
| al OF his invitation to the commit
tee to visit Chicago and bring Mr..
Nein with them.
But. don't legislate through Mr.
Neilis eyes or my eyes, but through
Your own he said.
| Mr.. Neil was then put on the stand.
tte said he wished first to make a
| statement. Before this Chairman
Wadsworth asked who sent Mr. Rev
nolds and himself to Chicago.
| Mr.. Scott. Kan, wanted to know the
training Mr.. Neil had previously had
TO prepare him to make the inquiry
| II simply claim to be a man Of aver
age intelligence he replied.
| He said he had worked in q Chicaea
! packing house for six months in 4 mi
versity settlement.
| You are a specialist along econorni,.
lines?'
| "Mndesty fOrbds me to saw" rerlied
Mr.. NELL. He said he was ana had
been for year and a half commissions
cr Of labor.
I. Mr.. Neill then related an interview
l Nv
! in Chicago, representing the packers.
| DR. Dyson. he said suggested that Seilj
and Reynolds to go to Washington.
| make no report. but inform the packers
of the conditions found and suggestions
| for remedies, then to wait 81 DAVIS and
come lack and see if conditions hal not
been bcttered. This. he indicated. was
| to prevent injury to the trade
Mr.. Neill said he replied that he was
not authorized to make any deal, that
he did not know what the Presidents
plan was, but. believed it was to secure
adequate legislation. Mr.. Nell follow
| ed this statement with a letter he had
received from Mr. Dyson in which it
was suggested 4 sanitary committee be
appointed and that it be given 80 days
to accomplish improvements. pending
which no reports should be made.
DR.. Dyson, he said. had the next dav
substituted another letter on the exrla
nation that the language of the former
letter looked like Il trade" Oh account
| of promised improvements on the cOnsid
| Grafton that no report be made 1t stat
| cd he was authorized to speak for the
| larger Chicago packers. In this letter
he cmprasiZe the damage that would re
suit 20 the farmers of the country ~
Idiscrediting the sanitary cond tions Of the
packers. The letter gave assurance that
the reforms would be made.
Mr.. NELL said he submitted these let
| ters that the whole chapter might he nj
plete and for the further reason that Mr.
| Wilson Rad made repeated statements
| that the packers would welcome legifla
| ton.
| Mr.. Neill denied the statement of Mr.
| Wilson that the floors were scrubbed 'l1i
| ~. The dirt on some of the rooms was
caked on the floor and had not beer
| washed. Tor weeks. ..tf"'t ''t'' '.' ''' ..
| WAS this in any Of the houses repre-
scented by Mr. Wilson, was asked
| Yes. sir"
| Mr. Neil said he at first began making
! notes of the cOndit ION but after several
days seeing no change in conditions he
| abandoned the practice He felt justi-
fed in saying that the dirty floors was 4
common condition. There wcrn some dirty
| rooms and some clean rooms. hut any
| clean room seemed to he accidental and
gave the impression that sanitation was
not n matter that was locked after in
these plants This included all the larg"
plants.
| Again Mr.. Ncill was asked: you take
direct issue with Mr.. Wilson on the fact
| that these rooms were not cleaned?"
| YES, sir. 7 do"
| "Thore were floors there that werc
black. There was no ventilation These
] rooms were rot chill rooms. These.
without exception. were the most salts
| factory part OF tho plants and no fault
could he found" said Mr.. NELL.
| "But you did not mention anything
| creditable in your report" remarked
| Chairman Walsworth. Were you there
simply to find fault?"
| No We understood that We were 70
ascertain conditions that needed leSisla-
tive remadns." answered Mr.. Neiil
| Rem Haugen Iowa. want to know the
objection to artificial light We are
working right here in this room with aru-
fetal light and have 80 others right in In
| this capitol"
MY opinion is" replied Mr. Neil. "thn;
no one should be required TO work cieht
hours dav by artificial light"
| Rep. Lorimer brought the witness back
to the unwashed rooms. do you mean
to say that you saw rooms where IN"
1 canned meat is put up that were not
washed every day?''
II cannot remember exactly the canning
rooms. hut there were rooms where food
| nroducts were being put Up that wcr"
not clean. In one particular room re-
member there were pools Of water on t'r
floor and the girls had to stand on boards
III am not prepared to say whether We
found canning rooms that were not
washed"
GLOW about the cooking rooms?' asked.
MIR. Lorimer.
Mr. NELL said he remembered In par
lticular one cooking room was dirty. ana
Inc remembered walls. particularly IN tn"
tentrances. that were sticky with dirt,