Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-06-04
CHICAGO STOCK YARDS.

The Senate snd House OF Representa-
tiyes:
| transmit herewith the report OF Dir.
James Bronson Reynolds aud Commits
sioner Charles P. Neill, the special CON-
mitlee whom ! appointed TO investigate
into the conditions in the stock YARDS OF
Chicago and report thereon to me. ms
report is of preliminary nature l
submit it to you now because it shows
the urgent need of immediate action by
the Congress 10 the direction OF proVid-
ing drastic and thoroughgoing insPec-
ton 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 conditions shown by even this short
inspection to exist 10 the ChicsgO stock
yards are revolving. 1t is imperatiyely
necessary in the interest OF health aud
of decency that they should be radically
changed. Under the existing law II is
wholly impossible to secure satisfactory
results. The report shows
that the stock yards and packing houses
are not kept even reasonably clean, and
that tae method of handling and pre-
pairing food products is uncleanly aud
dangerous to health. Under existing
law the national government has no
power TO enforce inspection OF the many
forms of prepared meat food pro-
ducts that are daily going from
the packing houses into interstate
commerce. Owing to an inadequate
appropriation the Department oil
Agriculture is not even able to place in
spectors in all establishments desiring
them.. The present law prohibits the
shipment Of .uninspected- meats to for
eign countries, but there is no provision
fOrbidding the shipment of uniDsPected
meats iD interstate commerce, and thus
the avenues OF interstate commerce are
left open to traffic 10 diseased OF spoiled
meats. If, as has been alleged on seem
ingly good authority further evils exist,
such as the improper us OF chemicals
and dyes, the government lacks power
to remedy them. A law is neeeed
which will enable the inspectors OF the
general government to inspect aud gu
peryise from the hOOf tn The can the
preparation of the meat food product.
The evil seems To be much less 10 the
sale of dressed carcssses than ia the sale
of canned and other prepared products;
and very much less a. regards porducts
used at home.
la my judgment the expense of the
inspection should be paid by a fee lev
led on each animal slaughtered. If this
is not done, The whole purpose OF the
Law eau at any time be defeated through
an insufficient appropriations and when
ever there was no particular public in
terest in the subject it would be not only
easy but natural thus to make the APP
preparation insufficient. II it were not
for this consideration | should favor the
government paying for the inspection.
The alarm expressed in certain quart
ers concerning this feature should be al
layed by a realization of the fact that in
no case under such a law, will the cost
of inspection exceed 8 cents per head.
call special attention to the fact that
this report is preliminary, aud that the
investigation is still unfinished. Ii if
not yet possible to report on the alleged
abuses in The use of deleterOus chemical
compounds 10 connection with canning
aud preserving meat products, nor on
the alleged doctOring 10 this fashion OF
tainted meat aud of products returned TO
the packers as having grown unstable
0runusabe from age or from other reasons.
Grave allegations are made in reference
to abuses of this nature.
Let me repeat that under the present
law there is practically no method of
stopping these abuses if they should be
discovered to exist. Legislation is needed
10 order to prevent the possibility OF all
abuses in the future. If no legislation
is passed, then the excellent results &C.
complished by the work OF this specia
committee will endure only 80 long rs
the memory of The committees work If
fresh, aud recruJescence OF the abuses
is absolutely certain.
urge the immediate enactment into
law of provisions which will enable the
Department of Agriculture adequately
to inspect The meat aud meat-tOOd
products entering into interstate COM
merce aud To supervise the methods of
preparing the same, aud 10 prescribe the
sanitary conditions under which the
work shall be performed. ! therefore
commend TO your favorable consideration
aud urge the enactment OF substantially
the provisions known as Senate amend
menl No. 29 to the act making appro-
priaions for tie Department OF Agri-
culture for the cal year ending June
80, 1907, as passed by the Senate, this
amendment being commonly known as
the Bevefidge amendment.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, June 4, 1906.
The report OF Messrs. Reynolds aud |
Neill shows that conditions in the pack
ing houses are deplorsble aud calculated
to disgust every one who has herel lfOre
used Chicago meat products. Hogs which |
have died on cars are thrown on plat
forms where they remain for an unneees-
sarily hong time before being removed.
The places where the various meat pro-
ducts are prepared are uncleaply, aud
after reading the. manner
10 which the meat is handled aud the
dirt which necessarily enters into Whist
lie put upon the market will be inclined
to boycott all such products 10 future