Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-11
mr.. UPTON SINCLAIR
SCORES CHAIRMAN wADswoRTH
FOR REFUSING TO HEAR HIM.

Chairman Wordsworth of the House agri-
cultural committee today received very
caustic letter from Upton Sinclair. author
Of 1.-THE Jungle" the book that started
the inquiry into Packingtown conditions.
Mr.. Sinclair tells of some of the things he
saw before the packers began to clean up, =
and asserts that the inquiry by the agricul-
tural committee was intended to whitewash
the guilty. The letter follows:
ION Friday morning last wired you re-
questing a hearing before your commit
tee, and the request was refused. I again
wired you protesting against this decision,
and have received reply to the effect
that the committee adheres to it.
II have. of course, no appeal from the
verdict except to the sense of fair play
of the American people. 1t was because
Of my charges that the investigation was
begun into conditions in the Chicago pack
ing houses, and the question of my hon
esty Is inextricably bound up with the
subject. 1 have been quoted before your
committee as making all sorts of state
ments that 1 have never made, and l
should have an opportunity to be heard
Il am able to speak from first-hand
knowledge of conditions in Packingtown,
and of the need of legislation. l spent
seven weeks there, living with the men,
and studying the plants, inside and out
before the packers had had any warning
and had done any cleaning up.
What He Saw.
II saw with my own eyes spoiled hams
being doctored in Armours, the stencil or
them being great that l could scarcely
remain in the room. I saw sausages hang
Ing in watts to be dyed in order to save the
time and loss of weight incidental to- smok-
ing. I saw poisoned rats lying near sausage
meat, and waste ends of smoked beef stored
In cellars in damp barrels. moldy and de-
filed by the workingmen. I saw men spit
ting upon piles of fresh meat and washing
their hands in water which was laded into
the sausage hoppers while I stood and
watched I stood for forty minutes in
Armours and saw hogs killed with no in
spector on duty 1 saw cattle killed in
Morris under the same circumstances for
nearly as long
of concern to your committee. You wire
me that Conditions in the packing houses
have been fully reviewed. Possibly you
think SO, but l can assure you that the
public does not think So AS matter OF
simple fact, not one shred of evidence un-
favorable to the packers has been allowed
to get before your committee excepting only
that of Messrs. Neill and Reynolds. which
hearings We're held, not to elicit any facts,
but solely in order to whitewash the pack
ers. was proved by the treatment which
you accorded to those gentlemen.
"a paid agent of the beef trust was re-
ceived by you with open arms; you heard
his tricky and dishonest statements with
cordial approval, and the commissioners
and personal friends Of the President you
treated as criminals before the bar of JUS
tice. browbeating and insulting them out
rageously
you will doubtless continue In your
present course to the end. but l predict,
sir, that you will live to regret the insult
which you have offered to the intelligence
of the American people. They are thor
oughly aroused upon this question and
bent upon justice. They realize that your
committee has been largely to blame for
the continuance of the condemned meat
industry, since 1t has been your task year
after year. to smother the request of the
Secretary of Agriculture for funds to main
tain an efficient inspection, and now that
you have been forced into the open as the
servant and champion of the criminals in
volved. shall be surprised If the people do
not find a way to make you feel the weight
of their displeasure."