The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-08
PACEERS AVID ACCgsER BEARD



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shieR ho D]rvrfri f fn.iV tti Then
tshlne ~ the UHs.l'o am.nlnnH'
etstci specifically NJ. ..IH.IIuHH 'l r'rttin
NJ NJ pfpvlsuns NJ Ven Ucsipioi tho
attention ~ the committee flr the renain-
dg n tho hoy Much n he trstfuouy
vas q rriietii.on " M charges which ho
~ forth In he retprt Ne 80 subjected
to y very riEIl orlaa.oNtmnttiun hy
R~etrrarniltiva Wadsuorth. tho chairman
N Tho commtbv, und Representative
fnFimer nf thicpsn. y, minute anil oSIci.
inn wsrc they m thoir dem wi' for %-r"rilo
Instance n shat Mt Srill had stated ~ q
general way that u lively controversy
aFoae among tho mcmlrra pf tho commute"
NJ 10 IN" moti,od ~ which he VIA '",ns
examined.
Mr.. Bowie II Alabama. Mr lamb Of VIZ.
gina and Mr. Davis ~ Minnesota protested
aRain-t the character - tho questions
which were PAT by vi. Wada~orth and Mr.
forimcr on the ground that they we're piac-
ing Mr.. Noill IN the attitude Of a defendant
Mr.. Neil himself Declared that hc WA not
being treated "a ho thought fairly. Mr..
Wilson. he maintained. had teen oDurteDusly
treated. hut he Neilb h8d been asked uucs-
tons in such a way a. 10 Indicate that he was
under suspicion and that hs and Mr.. Rey-
holds he'd in their report a. to the conditions
In the packing houses. Although no was
frequently -omew mai embarrassed by no.
beng able to state specifically whai be de-
olared he knew generally, ne insisted thai
all that he had said in his export and moro
was true, and that ne would stand by Ii.
As indicating the line of cross-etamina-
ton TO which he was subjected. Mr.. NELL
was asked bow he knew that tn g men who
epat upon the floors Of the roo ms where
meat products were being packed we're
afflicted with tuberculosis AND how he dis
dnglished sEittal containing germs from
thai which did not. He was also asked a
number of questions as to ginute details
and to what extent they Cano under his
personal observation Several member
thought this line Of questioning was going
protests seemed to afford Mr.. Neil some
relief, for after they had been made Mr..
Wadsworth and Mr.. Loritncr were less
severe in their questioning.
The fact was definitely eStabli shed at tho
hearing to-day that the President has
in his nnSSaasiOD a nNallmiDnry rnTaDrt
on the conditions in the Chicago stock
yards which has not yet been made public.
This Tepor was made by an inspector TO
the Bureau Of Animal Industry, and after
reading it the President decided to aend
Messrs. Neill and Reynolds to Chicago TO
make a further investigation.
The fact concerning the report came out
when Mr.. Wilson was discussing the pro-
visions of the Beveridge amendment Mr..
Adams of Wisconsin, a member Of the com
mittee, interrupted to say that he understood
there was a preliminary report made by an
inspector TO the Department, and he moved
that the chairman Of the committee be
directed to make a request for it.
Chairman Wadsworth said that no had
talked with Secretary Wilson about the report
yesterday and had seen the President this
morning regarding it. The President had
assured him that it would be placed before
the committee. II is said that this report
was not made until after the President had
read 4The Jungle, and had called upon the
Bureau Of Animal Industry for a statement
concerning the charges made.
Continuing his statement to-day, Mr.. !
Wilson said that the only serious objection
which. the packers had to the Beveridge
amendment was the placing Of the cost
upon the packers. He thought the expense
should be paid by the Government, He
denied that the present agitation was due
mitted, and that to put this burden upon
them would be unjust. 1t already cost
the packers 81, OO0, 900 a year, he declared,
by reason Of present CONCENTRATIONS. The
result of the present hysteria, he asserted,
had been very disastrous.
"How much do you estimate it has in
jured your businessI" asked q member Of
the committee.
aThe sale of meat and meat products has
been more than cut in two" replied Mr.,
Wilson. Every country in Europe has
taken up the agitatic.l Il: it is hurting us very
materially. Other countries which produce
meat products in competition with us are
taking advantage OF it. They get the bene-
fit and we get the loss. 1t would be hard to
think what the ultimate result would be il
the American packers were cut off in the
foreign marker. The result would be a
great loss to the cattle raisers OF this coun-
try, because the packers would not be able
to handle their i've stock. 1t would be a
terrible calamity &c the Western stock
raieers.'
Summarizing his objections TO the Beve-
ridge bill. Mr.. Wilson said the packers were
opposed to the proposition that they should
be compelled to pay the cost of inspection;
to the para graph compelling them to satisfy
the common carriers before their products
are accepted for transportation that their
premises are in a condition Of sanitation
approved by the Secretary Of Agriculture
70 the p~hraseology Of the paragraph pro-
hibitng unwholesome ingredients in meat
products, and to labelling the prepared prod
with the date Of manufa cture.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Wilson'S state
ment Mr.. Neil was called. He began by tell
what his experience had been. He had
been connected with Chicago settlement
work in the Stock Yards distric for about six
months, Several times he had been through
The packing plants. He laid no claim to
srecial ftnt IS for making Al investigation
He bad only the powers # observation Of
an ordinary citizen. He did rot 90 to
Chicago expecting to find ths packing
houses as cleen as q parlor.
Mr.. Neill said that many Of the
conditions which he found were due to
negligence. A great many Of them might
easily have been remedied at any time,
He denied Mr.. Wilson's statement that the
plants we're cleaned every day after work.
ing hours, There we're rooms that had not
been cleaned out for weeks. He found
rooms where cam nR and boninp vara oo;no