The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-06-07
Big Packing Houses a Menace
to Public Health
A BLOT ON COMMON DECENCY
The Report is Only Preliminary, the
President Being Anxious for Spe-
cial Legislation-More is to Come
Revelations That Will Concern
The People.

OF MeSSrS. reynolds II NELL, ap-
pointed a special committee by Presi-
dent Roosevelt to investigate the
workings Of tne packing houses and
/ stock yards, was presented to Con-
gress by the President. The report
although confined to personal investi-
cations and giving only such informa-
ton as come under the personal OBJ
servation of the committee, reveals
some startling facts. Messrs. Rey-
nolsds and Neill explain that the in
vestigations are not yet ended and
that many reports in connection with
the unsanitary conditions of the pack
ing houses and stock yards are yet
to come out.
The Presidents Message.
The Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
L transmit herewith the report of
Mr.. James Bronson Reynolds and
Commissioner Charles P. Neill, the
special committee whom I appointed
to investigate into the conditions in
the stockyards of Chicago and report
thereon to me. This report is of a
preliminary nature. 1 submit it to you
now because it shows the urgent need
of immediate action by the Congress
In the direction of providing a dras-
tic and thoroughgoing inspection by
the Federal government of all stock
yards and packing houses and of their
products, so far as the latter enter
into Interstate or foreign commerce.
The condition shown by even this
short inspection to exist in the
Chicago stockyards are revolving. I.
is imperatively necessary in the in
terest of health and decencv that they
should be radically changed. Under
the existing law it is wholly impossible
to secure satisfactory results.
When my attention was first di-
rected to this matter an investiga-
ton was made under the Bureau Of
Animal Industry of the Department
Of Agriculture. When the prelimi-
nary statements of this in: estigation
were brought to my attention they
showed such defects ia the law and
such wholly and unexpected condi-
tons that [ deemed it best to have
a further Immediate investigation by
lien not connected with the bureau.
and accordingly appointed Messrs.
Reynolds and Neill. 1t was impos-
sible under the existing law that sat
%lsfa"'ory work should be done by the
Bureau of Animal Industry. l am
now, however, examining the way in
which the work actually was done.
Before | had received the report of
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill | had di-
rected thai labels placed upon any
package of meat food product should
state only the carcass &C the animal
from which the meat. was taken had
been inspected at the time of slaugh-
ter. If inspection of meat food pro-
ducts at all stages of preparation is
not secured by the passage of the
Legislation recommended l shall feel
compelled to order that inspection
labels and certificates on canned pro-
duets shall not be used hereafter.
Premises not Kept Clean.
The report shows that the stock
yards and packing houses are not
kept even reasonably clean, and that
the method of handling and prepar-
ing food products is uncleanly and
dangerous to health. Under existing
law the national government has no
power to enforce inspection of the
many forms of prepared meat food
products that are daily going from
the packing houses into Interstate
commerce. Owing to an inadequate
appropriation the Department of Ae-
rIculture is not even able to place
inspectors In all establishments desir-
ing them. The present law prohibits
the shipment of uninspected meat TO
foreign countries, but there is no pro-
vision forbidding the shipment of un-
Inspected meats in Interstate com
merce, and thus the of inter
State commerce are left open to traf-
fic in diseased OF spoiled meats. If,
as has been alleged on seemingly
good authority further evils exist,
such as the improper use of chemi-
Gals and dyes, the government lacks
power to remedy them. "A law is
needed which will enable the inspec-
tors of the general government to
inspect and supervise from the hoof
20 the can the preparation of the
meat product. The evil seems to be
much less In the sale of dressed car
casses than In the sale of canned and