The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-05
COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
Details of Terrible Conditions Found
in Preliminary Survey.

in Preliminary Survey.
=, The full text of the report OF James
Bronson Reynolds and Commissioners
Charles 3 Neill transmitted TO Congress
by President Roosevelt, Is as follows
The President: AS directed by you, we
investigated the conditions in the princl-
pal Establishments in Chicago engaged In
the. slaughter Of cattle. sheep and hogs
and In the pTeparation OF dressed meat
and meat food products. Two and a halt
weeks weeks were spent In the inyesugation ., IN
through the principal packing houses IN
the stock yards district. together with a
spent by Mir Reynolds in New York city
In the investigation OF several OF Its lead
ing slaughter houses. During our inVestl-
cation statements of conditions and prac-
ices in the packing houses. together with
affidarits and documentary evidence
were offered us from numerous sources
Most of these We're rejected as being Tar
from proving the facts alleged and as
being beyond the possibility Of Terihca-
tion by us We have made no statemen55
as a fact In the report here presented
that was not verified by our personal ex-
animation. Certain matters which We
unable to verify while In Chicago
ara still under investigation. The FOL
lowing Is therefore submitted as par
tial report touching upon these practices
and conditions which We found most
common and not confined TO n single
house or class OF houses.
moro detailed report would contain
many specific instances of defects iound
IN PARTICULAR houses
Condition of the Yards.
Before entering the buildings We noted
the condition OF the yards themselves as
and platforms. The pavement Is mostly
Of brick, tho bricks laid with deep
grooves between them, which inevltaoly
hll with manure and refuse. Such pave
ment cannot be properly cleaned and Is
Shiny and maIodorous when wet, yield
Ing clouds of ill-smeling dust when dry.
la
those for sheep, these lattcr are paved
and covered. The vaducts and platforms
are OF wood. Calves, sheep and hogs that
have died en- route are thrown OUT upon
tho platforms where cars are loaded. on
a single platform on ono occasion VIC
counted fifteen dead hogs; on the next
for delay in removal was that so often
heard-the expense.
Buildings.
MaterinI-The interior finish of most Of
the buildings Is Of wood; the partition
walls. supports and raftcrs are OF wood,
uncovered by plaster or cement The
cement, but usually of wood. In many
OF the rooms whcro water Is used freely
the floors are soaked and Shiny.
Lighting.
The buildings have been constructed
with little regard to either light or ven
tilation, The workrooms. as rule. are
top of tho buildings arc well lighted be-
cause they cannot escape the hSht' but
most OF the rooms are so dark as TO
make artificial light necessary at all
times. Many inside rooms where food is
prepared are without windows, deprived
Of sunlight and without direct communi-
cation with the outside air. They may be
best described as vaults in which the air
rarely changes. Other rooms which open
to the outer air are so large, the windows
so clouded by dirt and the walls and
ceilings SO dark and dingy that natural
light only penetrates twenty or thirty
feet from the windows, making artificial
light In portions of even these outside
rooms necessary.
Ventilation.
Systematic ventilation of the work
rooms Is not found In any OF the ostab-
lishments We visited. In few instances
electric fans mitigate the stihing all, but
usually the workers toll without relief In
humid atmosphere heavy with the
odors OF rotten wood. decayed meats,
sinking offal and entrails.
Equipment.
Tho work tables upon which the meat
ls handled. the floor carts on which 1t Is
carried about and the tubs and other re-
ceptacles into which II Is thrown are
generally OF wood. In all the places visit
ed but single porceain,lined tS receptacle ptse
iron, iron carts and iron tubs arc being
introduced into the better establishments,
but no establishment visited has as yet
tables and wooden rcceptaclcS. These
wooden, receptacles are frequently found
water soaked only half cleansed and
with meat scraps and grease accumula
lions edherlng to their sides and collect
ing dirt, This Is largely true OF meat
racks and meat conVeyors Of every sort,
which were in nearly all cases made
quately cleaned. and grease and meat
scraps were found adhcring TO them, even
after they had been washed and returned
to service.
Sanitary Conveniences.
Nothing shows more etrIkingly the
general indifference TO matters of cleanli-
ness and sanitation than do the privies
for both men and women. The prevail
ing type IS made by cutting off section
OF tho workroom by a thin wooden par
tition rising TO within a few feet of the
ceiling. These privies usually ventilate
into the workroom, though n few are
found with a window opening Into the
outer air Many are located In the in
side corners of the workrooms, and thus
have no outside opening whatever. They
are furnished with a row OF seats. gen
orally without even side partitions
These rooms are sometimes used as cloak
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