Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-04
The Crime of the Packers.


To the fullest extent verifying the suspi-
cIons of the public. already raised to a high
point by Upton Sinclair's novel and by
other evidence of bad conditions at the
hacking houses, the NeIll- Reynolds report
which the President sent to Congress to-
day is terrible indictment of the packers
II the necessary legislation corrective OF
the evils which they have found and the
remedy for which lies in the law could be
secured only through the publication OF
these details, the submission of the report
must be regarded as an act of urgent ne
cessity But in any case, while the dis
closures are calculated to shock the people
profoundly, the report required publicity.
nauseating as it Is In its specifications. No
considerations could justify its suppression.
The government had ascertained that the
packing houses were being conducted with
the most depraved Indifference to the public
health. Conditions so foul as to be i'm
possible of exact description existed almost
without exception throughout the industry.
The grossest disregard for the laws of sani-
tation was proved AS far as they affected
the employees alone these conditions de-
manded exposure and cure. But it Is not
within the function of the government to
intervene In strictly local problems of n.y.
glene and sanitation. unless from these GEN.
ters OF filth spread the germs OF disease.
The Neill- Reynolds report indicates that
with. as far as ascertained, but a single
exception. the packing houses are a danger
10 the health OF every consumer of the
meats or meat products sent out from them
The people viii be surprised to learn of
the utter inadequacy of the government
inspection at present. It is most lacking
In Ia rriare hot
and filth The compulsory inspection. main
tained by an entirely inadequate force
stopped outside of the packing houses The
government representatives, merely weeded
out the animals which were plainly unfit
for Strengthening Inside the buildings the
inspection, after the death of the animal
was permissive only, and 1t extended
merely 10 the point of determining the
physical condition of very few earcasses
But even II the government inspection
were thorough regards the condition of
both the live animals and the carcasses
Immediately after the killing, it does not
meet the requirements OF the public health
The fundamental evil lies IN the criminal
disregard of the packers for the laws of
decency, morality and hygiene. The build
ings, the equipment, the workers are all
unspeakably filthy. The appointments for
the workers are of a character TO cause a
tremendous upheayaI OF protest, for they
Intimately affect the conditions In which
the meats are handled for the market AS
the case now stands, the consumer has no
guarantee whatever OF the purity or whole
someness of his supply. Not even the So
called government label is OF any worth
That label, according to the Presidents
informants, Is virtually a forgery being
attached to meat products which have not
been subjected TO government inspection,
save in the live animal yards. and, to a
very slight extent. In the carcass room.
The President In his message of transmit
tai strongly recommends that the cost of the
inspection service be borne by the packers
This is based upon the belief that only
thus can the system be maintained at the
necessary point of efficiency, government
paid service being subject to the influences
that affect the annual appropriation of pub
lie funds 1t is conceded that the consumer
will IN one form or another pay the cost of
the inspection. but MessTs. Neill and Rey-
holds state that proper supervision over
the packing methods can be maintained at
a cost of not more than cents per car
cass. which will add, If fairly distributed,
but very small fraction of cent to the
price OF any of the products OF the pack
ing industry.
Legislation of drastic character be-
comes imperative in the face of these reve-
lations. And when the inspection service
Is provided. and the laws prescribe severe
penalties for uncleanliness as well as the
utilization of diseased meats. there should
be a Determined effort on the part of the
government authorities to keep that service
Up TO the highest possible standard OF ac-
tlvlty and honesty.