Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-04
President Says in Sub
mitting His Report
to Congress.
URGES BEVERIDGE LAW
Rules of Common Decency Not
Observed In Preparing
Meat Products.

Washington, June 4-When the
speaker laid before the house today
President RoOsevelt's message and
summary of the investigation made by
Neill and Reynolds on the methods of
beef packers. great interest was dis
played by members in the message.
Its reading was closely followed and
at its conclusion there was a show of
applause which was instantly checked
by the speaker referring the document
and the accompanying papers to the
committee on agriculture.
Presidents Message.
The presidents message follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives: I transmit herewith a re-
port of James Bronson Reynolds and
Commissioner Charles P. Neill a spe-
cial committee whom / appointed to in
vestigate into conditions in the stock
yards of Chicago and report thereon TO
me. This report is of a preliminary
nature
Needs Immediate Action.
l submit il TO you because it shows
the urgent need of immediate action by
congress in the direction of providing
drastic and thOroughgoing inspection
by the federal government in all stock
yards and packing houses and of their
products sooner or later entering into
interior or foreign commerce.
Conditions Revolving.
The conditions shown by even this
short inspection to exist in the Chicago
stOckyardS are revolving. IL is imper
ativeIy necessary in the interest of de-
cency that they should be radically
changed Under the existing laws il is
wholly impossible to secure satisfac-
tory results. l urge the immediate en-
actment into law of provisions which
will enable the department of agricul-
ture adequately to inspect meat and
meat food products entering into inter
state commerce and TO supervise the
methods of preparing the same and to
prescribe the sanitary conditions un-
der which the work shall be performed.
Fnvors Beveridge Amendment.
| therefore commend to your favor
able consideration and urge the enact
ment of substantially the provisions OF
the senate amendment commonly
known as the Beveridge amendment.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The committees report says two and
a half weeks were spent in the investi-
CATION in Chicago. Absence of cleanli- |
ness was found everywhere in handling
meat being prepared for the various
meat food products. The parts that
are sent from the cooling room to the
departments where the various forms |
of meat products are prepared arel
handled with no regard whatever for
cleanliness. Meat workers climb over
the heaps of meat, select the pieces
they wish and frequently throw them
down upon the dirty floor beside their |
bench
Not Broad Enough.
The report says the radical defect in
the inspection system is that it is con- |
fined at present by law TO passing on
the healthfulness of animals at the
time of killing but that meat that is |
used in sausage and various forms of
canned products and other prepared
meats and foods goes through many |
processes, in all of which there is a
possibility of contamination through |
unsanitary handling and further dan
ger through the use of chemicals.
During all these processes there is
no government inspection, although
these products when sent out bear Ia
bells stating they have been passed
upon by government inspectors. The
report arraigns the sanitary provisions
in the buildings as abominable, and
says men and women plunge their I'M
washed hands into meat to be convert
ed into food products.
Up tn Government.
The report says the burden of pro-
tecting the cleanliness and wholesome
ness of the products and the health of
the workers and improving conditions
must fall upon the national govern
ment The department superintendents1
seem to ignore all considerations ex-
cept the account book, and proper care
of the products and of the health and
comfort of employees is impossible and
the consumer consequently suffers.
tuberculosis victims eXpectorate on
the spongy wooden floors of dark worE
rooms from which falling scraps OF
meat are later shoveled up to be later
converted into food products. Even
the ordinary decencies of life are COM
pletely ignored"