The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-28

to express Slaughter-h houses are dark,
and the greater part of their rooms can
not be ventilated at all. The commits
sioners declare that the cleaning OF the
killing and packing rooms Is Inadequate.
and that the habits OF the packers and
their employees are lthy In the extreme.
Meat is dumped where men suffering
from tuberculosis have expectorated. The
laboratories are unclean, and are IN
close proximity to where meat is prepared
for food.
No attempt is made to guard the pack
Ing house at night to prevent the killing
or .downers" or injured cattle. No In
spection of meat Is made after 1t has
passed the post norton examination or
after 1t leaves the killing bed. The, re-
port declares that the Federal inspectors
are overworked and underpaid, and are
without sufficient authority. While they
have power to condemn meat, they have
no authority to destroy it, but that work
is left TO the local inspectors, who are
said to be former prize fighters and bar
tenders.
America Gets No Protection.
1t is the opinion OF the commissioners
that the whole inspection service Is or
ga,lized to enable packers to sell meal
abroad and that the American consumers
are aIIOEueQ no pIOlSCl1c''t -
tina no microscopic examination Is made
of hogs for trtchinosis, except when they
are intended for export. Relative 10
the use Of meat that has spoiled In tran
sit or otherwise, the report finds thar
shipments which have become tainted
are returned to the packing houses and
either worked into sausages or are treated
with preseryatiyes and sold to local con-
sunlers. The use of dyes and adultera-
I. {yyaH 70 a
dispatches from Washington represent
Mr.. NELL as saying he had found revolt
ing and un,yholesome conditions In the
ma cking houses here. The floors were
so filthy that the blood and grease oozed
through and fell upon. good meat. when
was to be canned. Employees walked
around in the dirt and afterwnrd walked
upon the carcasses to be used In inter-
state commerce. He told Of the case OF
8s hog which had slipped from tie trolley
and fallen into vile place. It was taken
out, and without being cleaned. was sent
along and cut up for food.
Diseased and Good Together.
FIe found diseased meat placed in the
same room with good meat Intended for
canning, and he asserted that only one
of the Ave parts Of n can was made up
of the former. Potted hams appeared to
consist of pigskin and other pieces OF a
hog not used for Legitimate purposes.
These were colored and placed upon the
market, A brand OF sausage was any
thing but sausage.
The only meat that was good was beef
sold for roasts, steaks etc.
The class of employees was not high and
II was difficult to expect thea to know
much about sanitation.
The conditions under which women en-
ployes In the canning department work
we're deplorable. They were compelled to
stand in water much of the time and the
Temperature OF the room was low. Press
representatives OF the packers arQ, keep
ing the closest kind of watch on every
scrap of matter published regarding al
legged uncleanliness and vile methods Of
Strengthening, preparing and canning
meats for domestic and foreign consump-
ton. and are writing polite letters ask
Ing the writer's to come and mako an
themselves under the escort
Of an agent of the company.
Long statements. have been given out
to the press here by each OF tho COM
PAM les, in which tho stories of filth and
llnsnnitary environment are denied. These
sta tements are strangely aHke and all
were Issued at the same time. The main
theme is that, II there Is q bad condl-
ton OF affairs IN the stock yards plants,
1t must be In the smaller slaughtering
houses and older plants. Of which there
are about thirty:
Inspection Force Too Small.
The members of the big -Four" main-
tain that the present system OF govern
ment and local inspection is sufficient to
protect foreign, domestic and Chicago
consumers against unwholesome meats.
Those who have made unofficial inyesti-
gation-the so-called "muck-rahers'-le
clare that the system Is fundamentally