The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-06-16

and House OF Representatives: /
transmit herewith the report OF Mr.
James Bronson Reynolds and Commits
Sioner Charles T.. Nelll, the special
committee whom ! appointed 20 IN.
vcstigate into the conditions in the
stock yards OF Chicago and report
thereon 10 me. This report is OF a
preliminary nature. | submit II 10
you now because II shows the urgent
need OF Immediate action by the con-
gress In the direction Of providing
drastic 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 com
merce. The conditions shown by even
this short inspection 10 exist In the
Chicago stock yards are revolving II
IS imperatlvely necessary In the in
tercst OF health and OF decency that
they should be radically changed I'm.
der the existing law II IS wholly Inn
possible TO secure satisfactory results.
Orders Further Investigation.
when my attention was FIRST direct
GU w ANAN lAVAAtI III llhthllEAllOH
was made under the bureau OF animal
industry OF the department OF agri-
culture. When the preliminary state
ments OF this investigation were
brought 10 my attention they showed
such defects In the law and such
wholly unexpected conditions that
deemed Il best 10 have a further Inn
mediate investigation by men not CON
nected with the bureau. and according.
iy appointed Messrs. Reynolds and
NELL IL was impossible under the
existing law that satisfactory work
should be done by the bureau OF ami.
NAL Industry. l am now, however,
examining the way in which the work
actually was done.
Before ! had received the report OF
Messrs. Reynolds and Neil | had di.
rected that labels placed upon any
package OF meat food products should
state only that the carcass OF the ami
NAL from which the meat was taken
had been inspected at the time OF
slaughter. III inspection OF meat food
products at all stages OF preparation
IS not secured by the passage OF the
NNhAFA9AANh ANNNAhAA'hAfA HhhAl AfNA
compelled 10 order that inspection la
bells and certificates on canned prod
ucts shall not be used hereafter.
Packing Houses Unreasonabiy Dirty.
The report shows that the stock
yards and packing houses are not kept
even reasonably clean. and that the
method OF handling and preparing
food products IS uncleanly and dan
gerous 10 health. Under existing law
the national government has no pow
er TO enforce inspection OF tho many
forms OF prepared meat food products
that are daily going from the packing
houses into Interstate commerce. Ow-
ing 10 an inadequate appropriation
The department Of agriculture IL not
even able 10 place inspectors In all
establishments desiring them. The
present law prohibits the shipment OF
uninspected meat to foreign countries.
but there IS no provision forbiddlng
the shipment OF uninspected meats In
Interstate commerce. and thus the ave-
nues OF Interstate commerce are left
open 10 traffic in diseased or spoiled
meats. III. as has been alleged on
seemingly good authority further evils
exist, such as the improper use OF
chemicals and dyes. the government
lacks power 20 remedy them. law
IS needed which will enable tho In
Hpectors OF the general government
90 inspect and supervise from the
hoof 70 the can the preparation OF tho
meat food product. The evil seems
a
carcasses than In tho sale Of canned
and other prepared products; and very
much less as regards products sent
abroad than as regards these used nj
home.
In my Judgment the expense OF the
inspection should be paid by fee
levied on each animal slaughtered.
1f this Is not done. the whole purpose
OF the law can NJ any time be de
feated through an insufficient appro-
priation: and whenever there was no
particular public interest In the sub
ject n would be not only easy but
natural thus 20 make the eppropria.
tion insufficient. IN II we're not for
this consideration should favor the
government paying for the inspection. |
The alarm expressed In certain
quarters concerning this feature /
should be allayed by a realization OF |
the fact that In no case. under such
law Will the cost OF inspection exceed I,
eight cents por head.
call special attention 20 the fact |
4 that this report is preliminary. and |
that the investigation Is still unin- |
ished. II Is not yet possible 20 report |
on the alleged abuses in the use OF
deleterious chemical compounds in
connection with canning and preserv- !
Ing meat products, nor on the alleged /
aoctoring in this fashion OF tainted
meat and OF products returned 20 the I
packers a. having grown unstable or
unusable from axe or from other rsa- !