The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-04

the establishments we visited. In few
instances electric fans mitigate the sitting
air, but usually the workers toll without
relief in a humid atmosphere heavy with
the odors of rotten wood, decayed meats.
sinking offals and entrails
Equipment work tabes upon
which the meat is handled, the floor carts
on which II is carried about, and the tums
and other receptaces into which II Ia
thrown ale yeenrally OF wood. In all the
places visited but a single porcelain-lin
receptacle was seen Tables covered with
sheet iron, iron carts and iron tubs are
being introduced into the better establish
ments. but no establishment visited has
as yet abandoned the extensive use OF
wooden tables and wooden receptacles.
Thess wooden receptacles are frequently
found water soaked. only half cleansed.
and with meat scraps and great accumu-
lations adherlng to their sides, and coll
lecting dirt. This Is largely true OF meat
racks and meat conveyors OF every sort.
which were In nearly all cases made
quately cleansed. and grease and meat
scraps were found adhering TO them even
after they had been washed and returned
TO service.
Sanitary Conveniences.-Noth shows
more strikingly the general indifference
TO matters OF cleanliness and sanitation
than do the privies for both men ana
women. The prevailing type is made by
cutting off a section of the workroom.
though a few are found with window
opening into the outer air.
Many are located In the inside corners
of the work rooms, and thus have no
outside opening whatever. They are fur
nished with a row of seats, generally
without even side partitions. These
rooms are sometimes used as cloakrooms
by the employees. Lunch rooms construct
ed In the same manner. by boarding on
a section Of the workroom, often adjoin
the privies, the odors of which add TO the
generally insanitary state OF the etucs-
phere
Abominable as the above-named condi-
tions are, the one that affects most direct
ly and seriously the cleanliness of the
food products is the frequent absence OF
any iavatory provisions in the privies.
Washing sinks are either not furnished at
all or are small and dirty Neither are
towels, soap or toilet paper provided,
Men and women return directly from
these places to plunge their unwashed
hands into the meat to be converted into
such food products as sausages. dried
beef and other compounds. Some OF the
privies are situated at a long distance
from the the workrooms. and men relieve
themselves on the killing floors or in
corner of the workrooms. Hence, I'm some
cases the fumes OF the urine swell the
sum OF nauseatng odors arising from the
dirty blood soaked. rotting wooden floors.
fruitful culture beds for the disease germs
OF men and animals
New Buildings.-It is stated that many
of the unsanitary conditions are due to
the fact that these buildings are old anu
have been built by piecemeal. and that
In the newer buildings. being erected from
time TO time. the defects OF the earlier
structures are being remedied. This con-
tention is not borne out by the facts. Onu
OF the large plants erected within recent
years has most of the defects OF the older
buildings. IL Is true that three large
model buildings have been erected. bu,
one is an office building. while the other
two contain only cooling. storage and
sales room. No model building for the
preparation OF food products has been
built In the stock yards OF Chicago.
A MODEL 5T.AUGHTERHoUsE
In impressive contrast to the conditions
that we saw in the stock yards OF CAica-
go Is an establishment that Mr. Reynolds
visited In New York city. It well merits a
description in those particulars in which
II is vastly superior TO similar concerns In
Chicago. The two upper floors used for
cattle pens are paved with well-iaid
bricks and cement, with side walls Of
brick, the top fior, being covered to pro-
tect the cattle from the weather. The
killing floor Is paved with bluestone.
sloping toward we'll arranged drains. and
has large air shaft for special ventila-
Continued on page six.