The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-07
HEARING THV PACKERS SIDE.
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hroians N thirseo sfe motrla " sanitation
and fhat theiT output u pufe and shulr
arms Waa the inHpfes aion fainei from What
representative ~ thu rarhefa told Tho
IoUss COMMITTEES ~ Agficodtues TODAY
Tho COMMITTEES hal Under considerable n
the ueveftdee amendment ~ Tho taficui
turai Appropriation bill providing fof Oov.
srnnwnt inspection N meats
Thomas n Wilson ~ Tho Nelaun Morris
Comgsoy but representing ~ h- ssid I'll
~ Tho lsrgr fwckefs, was heard He -
40 various statements and Recommended
tiona made In ihe Neil. Reynolds report and
explained away arms n their findings
M Wilson hegsn by issuing an invitation
N tho COMMITTEES IN ~ 10 tho packing
hoises ~ Chicago. kanaas city and South
Omsha and there make n personal ineIsction
~ the conditions In the Strengthening houses.
such an investigation, he aid, would con.
vince them ~ the efforts made Ivy tho
packers for good sanitation and hat tho
products ~ the packing houses we're whole.
aorne.
What We are opposed to and what We
appeal TO you for protection against said
Mr.. Wilson, ia 10 bill that will put our bust.
meas In the hands ~ theoriats. chemists and
sooiologists and the management and on
troll taken away from the non who have
devoted their lives 70 tho upbuilding and
porfecting Of this great American industry =
In answer TO various questions MIR.
Wilson said that the packers did not object
10 inspection, they had supposed that they
had il: but II the Government wanted more
the packers were willing II should be as
thorough az possible and that there should
be any number of inspectors, provided he
added, that the packers were not compelled
to pay Tor II.
the carcass To the can, are your asked
Chairman Wadsworth.
"We welcome it, replied Mr.. Wilson. 1T
is to our advantage to have good inspec-
ton"
The packers, he asserted. did not object
to anything in line Of reason, anything
practicable and in keeping with good bust
ness principle, which would improve sanitary
condition. Their only objection in this
respect was the placing OF the authority
to Determine what was and what was not a
sanitary condition in the discretion Of the
Secretary Of Agriculture without requiring
him to take the advice Of sanitary experts.
They did object, he said, to a provision
requiring the placing Of dates on the labels
OF canned goods. These goods, when
properly canned. would keep for years:
yet II a consumer saw on a can a stamp OF
recent date and one two years old he would
invariably..wan that most recently packed,
although II would be no better than the
other. Rarely ever were canned goods
returned to be relabelled. 1t only hap
pened in instances where the general APP
p~earance of the can and label was not good
where the goods had been shop worn.
Goods which were kept air tight were good
and wholesome anyway, and if they were
not air tight there was no danger OF any one
eating thepl. All canned goods were clean
and wholesome. There is, however, he
admitted, some coloring matter in the cas-
ings of sausages, but it did not affect the
meat. It was what is called Bismarck
brown" and improved the appearance Of
the product.
But, !" exclaimed Mr.. Davis Of Minnesota,
a member OF the committee, suppose eat
the casing and all Of the sausage, don't l
get the coloring matter as effectively as if it
were in the meat?'
YES" but il is not deleterious to health
Mr.. Chandler, a member of the commit
tee, read extracts from the Neill-Reynolds
report wherein was mentioned the fact
Of finding pieces Of rope in scraps intended
for chopped meats
Mr.. Wilson explained that by saying
that the 4pieces of rope were doubtless
in the butt enc Of pieces OF dried beef which
had been sliced. These strings were used
to hang the meat during the smoking proc
ess and had not been removed when the
beef was sliced. They were removed
before the butts were chopped up for other
use.
Mr.. Wilson said that dead and diseased
hogs were sent to a rendering establish
ment to be turned intolsoap grease and that
it was ridiculous to think that they were
ever used for food products. He also
denied that young calves commonly known
as "deaoonsA were ever packed and sold as
chicken. Every can labeled chicken oon-
tanned nothing except that sort of fowl
The whole report he characterized as an
exaggeration, and the facts were the re-
verse Of what Messrs. Neill and Reyno Ids
sought to show. The report sought to show
the Very worst side Of the situation, and the
instances Of unsanitation singled out were
the exception and not the rule. The pack
ers were as much interested as any one else
in putting the very best goods upon the
market. Good business methods dictated
that they should do so.
Mr.. Wilson did not conclude his statement
but will probably continue tomorrow.
Mr.. Neill and Secretary Wilson will also b
heard.