Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-08
SENT TO THE HOUSE
AGRICULTURAL DEPT. REPORT ON
PACKING HOUSES.

What is known as the Department of Ag-
ricuiture report on packing house condi-
tons was sent by the President to the
House today.
part Of this report is letter dated
April .. 1906, from A. d. Melvin, chief of
the bureau of animal industry. in which
he says. commenting on the sanitary con-
ditions:
From personal observation know that
sanitars conditions at abattoirs where this
bureau maintains inspection, while not al
ways satisfactory, are much superior to
those at the average establishment without
such inspection"
Further he says he knows that many dis
Sased animals are not shipped to market
centers where inspection is maintained He
advises the most rapid extension of the in
spection possible and says the demand for
inspection Is much greater than can be sup
piled.
ut might be well to state" he says, that
IN any slaughter house. no matter how gan
stary the conditions may be, there is much
that Is revolving TO one unaccustomed TO
such sights. and one who visits them must
expect 10 witness scenes of blood and offai
ana to have his nOstrils Offended by dis
agreeable odors, as well as to see finely
dressed beef and mutton and tempting
hams and bacon"
He says the report OF the committee or
7hree onicials of the department Is fully
approved by the bureau OF animal indus
1ry and that wherever weakness In the
system OF inspection has been Indicated
steps VIII &C once be taken to remedy the
conditions.
Work Of the Committee.
The report consists of 14s typewritten
pages. The committee began it's work al
Chicago March y last, and continued the
work until March %. All abattoirs in Chi
caso having government inspection and two
others were inspected
The ahte-mortem inspection Is described
ano the statement made that rejected ami
mails are required TO be removed by their
owners from the pens and are disposed of
~ accordance with law; that is afterwara
Slaughtered at an official abattoir under the
supervision of federal. state and city Of
hcials. In twenty-five Embellishments in
Chicago post-mortem inspection Is made
and In these the entire meat product is In
spected.
81 The committee visited every room in the
institutions mentioned In making its in
quiry regarding sanitation. The report
says:
THE sanitary condition In some of the
abattoirs Is good. in some 1t Is fair and in
others bad"
The report states It is impossible to make
g generalization OF sanitary conditions and
Continuing the comment on this same abat-
toir the report says: THE walls and wood
work OF the killing room are painted to q
height OF ten feet and presented a clean
appearance. Above the paint the wood
work Is whitewashed, but not recently.
The tmbers were wet. probably the result
or the condensation OF steam. There were
considerable Accommodations of dirt on over
head rafters and beams. The windows OF
this room were dirty. The natural light
and ventilation were good. The visit of the
committee was unannounced and unex-
pected. and II was observed that workmen
were engaged In cleaning the floors. benches
and various portions OF the machinery. The
odor of chloride of lime was noticed.