The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-05
ABATToIR NO. -.
The contents Of this package have
been inspected according to the
act of congress of
March 3, 1891.
QUALITY GUARANTEED.

! QUALITY GUARANTEED. !
The phraseology of these labels is
wholly unWarranted. The government
inspectors pass only upon the HEALTHY
fu 9II. OF I, the animal at the time of \
processes thru which the meat has
passed since its inspection. They do
not know what else may have been
placed in the cans in addition to Gin
sPected meat AS matter of fact,
they know nothing about the "'con-
tents, OF the can upon which the pack
ers place these labels-do not even
know that it contains what it purports
anteed" Immediately following the
statement as to government inspection
is wholly uniustifable. Itsdeceives and
is plainly designed to deceive the aver
age purchaser, who naturally infers
guarantees the contents Of the can to
be what It purports to be.
In another establishment piles of
sausages and dry moldy canned meats,
admittedly several years old, were
found, which the superintendent stated
to us would be tanked and converted
into grease: The disposition to be
the superintendent or representatives
Of the packers, as the government does
not concern itself with the disposition
Of meats after they have passed inspec-
ton on the killing floor. It might all
be. treated with chemicals, mixed with
meat product desired, and yet the pack
ages or receptacles in which it was to
be shipped out to the public would be
marked with label that their con-
tents had been Government inspect
ed It is not alleged here that such
use was to be made Of this stuff. The
| case is pointed out as one showing the
q label bearing the name and the i'm
piled guaranty Of the United States
government. - e. -. :. -.-
Another instance Of abuse in the use
of the label came to our notice. In two
different establishments great. stocks
thru {. washing process to remove the
old labels. They were: then subjected
to sufficient heat to "liven. up": the
contents-to use the phrase of the room
superintendent. After this, fresh labels,
with the government name on them,
were to be placed upon the cans. and
they were to be sent out bearing all the
product. In one Of these Instances, by
! the admission Of the superintendent,
the stock thus being relabeled was over
two years old. In the other case, the
Superintendent evaded a statement Of
how old the goods were. -. s--~.>s.-
v.-Treatment Of Employees. =
4 The lack Of consideration for the
health and comfort of the laborers in
direct consequence of the system Of adj
ministration that prevails. The .yari-
GUS departments are under the direct
control Of superintendent who claim
to use. full authority in dealing with
the employees, and who seem to ignore
all considerations except those OF the
account book. Under this system prop
health and comfort Of the employees is
impossible, and the consumer suffers il
consequence. The insanitary condi
tions in which the laborers work and
the feverish pace which they are forced
to maintain inevitably affect theil
health. Physicians state that tubercu
losis is disproportionately prevalent in
the stockyards, and the victims Of this
disease expectorate on the spongy wood
en- floors Of the dark workrooms, from
which falling scraps of meat are Later
shoveled up to be converted into fooC
products. .u.1'.
Even the ordinary decencies of if,
are completely ignored. t:.,a ~ :
Much Of the work in connection with
; the handling Of meat has to be carried
on in rooms Of low temperature, bu
even here a, callous disregard wa
everywhere seen for the comfort o.
those who worked in these rooms. Girl
and women were found in rooms regis
without any ventilation whatever de
l pending entirely upon artificial light
The floors were wet and soggy, and il
some cases covered with water, so tina
the girls had to stand in boxes Of saw
, dust as a protection for their feet. i
a few cases even drippings from tn
l refrigerator rooms above trickled thru
? the ceiling upon the heads Of the work
ers and upon the food products bein!
| prepared. A very slight expense woul
!: have furnished drier floors and pro
tected them against the trick1ings from
! the ceiling. It was asserted by the su
l perintendent Of these rooms that thi
: low temperature was essential to tn
proper keeping Of the meat; but pre-
= cisely similar work was found in othe
establishments carried on in rooms KEEP
girls of l6, II and 10 years stand to,
hours a day at work, much of whic
could be carried on while sitting down
In several establishments well man
aged restaurants were provided for tn
clerical force, and in one instance
smoking room was provided for them
but. no provision was found anywher
for place to eat for the male laberer
In pleasant weather they eat thei
luncheon sitting outdoors along tn
edge Of the sidewalk, or any plac
where they can find standing room I
winter, however, and in inclemen
weather, their lunches have to be cate
in rooms that in many cases are stihin
and nauseating. Eating rooms are pre-
vided in number of places for wome
workers in the various departments
and in most Of the large establishment
coffee is served them at penny
cup. Beyond this meager considerable
for their convenience at meal time
scarcely any evidence is found tina
anyone gave thought to their con
fort.
The neglect on the part Of their en-
ployers to recognize or provide for th
requirements Of cleanliness and 4,
cency Of the employees must have An il
huence that can not be exaggerated
lowering the morals and discouragin
cleanliness on the part of the worker
employed in the packing houses. Tt
whole situation asSwe saw it in thes
huge, bishments tends necessaril
and inevitably to the moral. degred
ton Of thousands of workers. who al