The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1906-1908, 1906-06-15
| SAYS PACKING HOUSES
ARE VERY DIRTY PLACES
Commissioner Neil Sticks to His Re-
port When Examined by House
Committee on Agriculture.

on agriculture continued its hearing
on the Neill-Reynolds meat inspection
report on Thursday Thomas E. VIII
son, manager for Nelson, Morris & Co.,
and representing the large Chicago
packing houses, continued his remarks
on the Beverage amendment provid.
ing for meat inspection.
Aside from the objections he had
previously pointed out Mr. Wilson
said the only other serious objection
was the provision placing the cost Of
inspection on the packers.
Mr.. Neil was put on the stand and
he related parting interview with
Mr.. Dyson, consulting veterinarian in
Chicago, representing the packers. Mr..
Dyson, he said, had suggested that
Neill and Reynolds go to Washington,
make no report, but inform the pack.
ers of the conditions found and sug.
gestions for remedies, then to wait
thirty days and come back and see II
conditions had not been bettered
This. he indicated, was to prevent in
Jury to the trade.
Mr.. Neill said he replied that he was
not authorized to make any trade or
deal, that he did not know what he
presidents plan was, but believed il
was to secure adequate legislation. Mr.
Neill followed this statement with a
letter he had received from Mr. Dyson
In which it was suggested a sanitary
committee be appointed and that 1t BIZ
given thirty days to accomplish i'm
provement, pending which no reports
should be made.
Mr.. Neill rather discouraged a visit
Of the committee to Chicago at this
time, as many Of the conditions com
planned of were due to negligence and
could have been remedied immediate.
ly. Mr.. Neill denied the statement OF
Mr.. Wilson that the floors were
scrubbed daily. The dirt in some OF
the rooms was caked on the floor and
had not been washed for weeks.
Mr.. Neill said he at first began max
Ing notes of the conditions, but after
several days, seeing no change in con.
dltfons from day to day he abandoned
the practice. He felt justified in say
Ing that he dirty floors was common
condition. There were some dirty
and some clean rooms, but a clean
room seemed to be accidental and
gave the impression that sanitation
was not a matter that was looked
after in those plants.
Mr.. Neill said he remembered in
particular one cooking room was dirty
and he remembered walls, particularly
In the entrances, that were sticky with
dirt and pillar that you could scrape
dirt from with your knife There were
rooms with rafters from ceilings
which had not been whitewashed in
months.
In the boning room Mr.. Neill said he
had seen dirt. In this connection he
took issue with Mr.. Wilson's state
ment. One instance he remembered
specifically in the Nelson Morris
house. He saw one of the men who
had just finished his boning walk over
the dirt floor to pile of meat on the
floor, climb on the pile with his feet
knees and hands, pick up a piece and
throw 1t fifteen feet on the floor to
his bench, and as the dinner signal
sounded at that time he saw men
climb upon their tables, get their
lunches and sit down on their tables
to eat. This, he said, was directly un-
der the eye of the superintendent.
Mr.. Neill said the papers heralded
their arrival in Chicago and their pres.
ence in the packing houses was known
daily.
Asked again about the bone con
veyor by Mr.. Lorimer, Mr. Neill said
the conveyor was covered with grease
black with dirt. He was not prepared
to say that that particular conveyoI
was used in a particular place.
The slipping of a hog into a privy
was made the subject of colloquy be.
tween the witness and Representative
Brooks of Colorado.
Mr.. Neill said he saw the hog fall,
and identified a picture of the privy.
The hog was put up on the rack, and
he believed the hog was never
cleaned.
AS to the tendency of the work in
the packing houses to lower the
morals, Mr.. Neill said he believed that
is the case.
AN instance" he said, "a young
girl 16 or II years old had to walk
across a long room filled with men to
go into a water closet-this does not
tend to morality, especially when
some of those men are of the lowest
type-I will not say the workers are
MIR. Neill commended the govern
ment inspection, but would not COM
init himself on the state inspection.
He then described the hog-sticking
process, and said
"One man sticking hogs was nearly
as clean as am; another was covered
with blood" He described one room
where girls were packing dried beef,
in which the girls looked we'll and
clean.
Every suggestion made to correct
the absolute brutal indifference"
with which the employees. especially
the young girls. we're treated, he said
was met by the statement. "Oh, they
don't mind that"