The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-09
PACKERS HEARING RESUMED.
JtNEs n. RgYNOLDs STtVDs NJ
ms REP0HT.


Hsaa,s n was nased NJ Taels Which s'ame
tRdep sta peVsauai Osuegt atisa .-tiS.
tfumpaekee Depiares That 0sanfNa
1aas NJ ntsht ~ NeTWiTe IWspeeslaa.
wAsHNaroS. Juns = The has leen q
netd day In the meat lnspscslon agitation
president Roosevelt, cent Ia ths ito1so Com.
mites on Agriculture a long report about
conditions In the packiRe pla6ts msds ~
eSFers u tbs Hureau u Animal Industry,
and ths coinnitlsr hsard srgnnshts anl
testimony ~ highly Interesting oharsG'er,
Ons " the n,Ott important facts brought
nut IN ~ testimony hefcfe tbs committees
vas that nuns " the msut aold white fresh
IA aheuted by Improper conditions IN pack.
Inc eNt abl'shmenss. This was brough, out
by Representative brooks ~ Colorado. n
membsr NJ tbs COMMITTEES, and was admitted
by Agsut Reynolds. Mr., frooka then
showed that " Dsr rent Of tbs cattle slauRh.
tered was sold 90 fresh meat. which left only
9 per cent. for canning. and he showed also
that practically all of the mutton and
about half Of ths swins were sold fresh. IN
view Of this condition he Expressed the
opinion that much Of the criticism Of the
H1NNVlN wa uiitf1NEN-dIN uuu
The committee heard alao q broadside
argument from Representative Crumpacksr
Of ndiaha against the agitation. He
made an argument against the oonstltu-
t~ionality OF federal authority for meat
inspection. ~oOntending that the entire
Beveridge provision. as far as it related
10 inspection, was unconstitutional and
that Il could only be executed without
the consent Of the packers. who would
not be bound to obey IL in any particular.
Congress. he maintained. had no power
TO compel inspection In the packing houses
and could only enforce inspection at the
time the product was offered for inter-
state transportation.
Mr.. ~Crumpacker's argument unques-
tiOnably made an impression on the COM
mittee, which has heretofore been paying
more attention TO the charges Of ~unsanitary
conditions than IL has to the question Of the
legality Of the measure under considera-
ton. It Is not going too far TO say that
the indiana Congressman put the committee
fguratively cup a tree Members of the
committee who had made up their minds
as to what should be done. were undecided
when Mr.. C~runpaeker got through. Some
OF them believe that his contentious are
valid. but are anxious to take action that
will appeass the public mind and correct
the injury that has already been done TO the
packing interests and the took raisers,
while others, before doing anything, want
to get the packers to consent to over look
the unconstitutionality Of any law that
NAV be enacted and abide by it's provisions.
There is no escaping the conviction that
49, La AnnA m dn1;laI 1ho@.. - .nnt;
ment In Congress in the last twenty-four
hours. Many Congressman who were
carried Of their feet when the agitation was
nrst started are now OF the opinion that
the coz ditions In the packing houses are
not 30 horrible as they were at first inclined
to believe. Others, while convinced that
sanitary conditions In the packing plants
should be improved, are now resentful over
the character Of the agitation, which they
contend viii work irretrievable injury to
important industries and hurt many IN
nocent people In o pecunisry way. This
sentiment 10 particularly strong among
Representatives from the great cattle rais-
ing country, who are bearing Of severe losses
TO their constituents through o marked
falling Oh In the demand for live stock.
In view Of this situation. which affects
politics as well as money, there has de-
velopsd a strong sentiment in Congress
that whatever the justification for the
charges against the packers, abuses could
have been corrected without resort to the
methods that have been pursued and thus
have prevented the Losses which cattle
mon and ether innocent people are bound
to sustain through what has been done.
An instance Of this feeling was afforded
in the following resolution presented to-day
by Representative Fulkerson OF Missouri:
Whereas. the publication Of the so-called
Neill- Reynolds report. purporting to give
the alleged unsanitary conditions existing
at the Chicago stock yards and packing
houses, has had the immediate. far reaching.
unmerited and baneful effect OF prejudicing
and innaming the public mind, both at home
and abroad. against the meats and the meat
Industry Of the United States and
Whereas there are hundreds Of stock
yards and packing plants in the United States
where no such unsanitary conditions exist.
or have ever existed. or have ever been al
legged TO exist by Messrs. Neill. Reynolds or
any one else; and
whereas the final result Of the great out
cry against the Chicago stock yards and
packing plants will be an incalculsble loss TO
the farmers and stock raisers OF this country:
Therefore. to the end that merit shall receive
its just reward and neglect its rishtful punish
ment. be Il
Resoirsd. That the Pr esident OF the United
States and the Secretary Of Agriculture be
and they are hereby requested TO Immediately
make public any and all Information they
have or may be able TO secure from the great
Of meat inspectors employed by the
Government. or from any other source that
will tend to credit or dlscredit the products OF
any plant where meat products are prepared:
and be IL further
Resoired, That the Secretary Of Agriculture
be requested to Immediately give to the pub
lie his opinion OF the sanitary conditions OF
the plants and the healthfulness OF the
products coming from the various plants in
which he has placed an inspector and exer-
ctsed inspection.
James b. Reynolds, n Of the joint
authors OF the Neili-Reynolds report, was
the only witness examined to-day.
Taking UP the statement Of Mr.. Wilson,
the representative Of the packers. that no
meat was ever thrown upon the floors and
shovelled upon the tab les, Mr.. Reynolds
said he had eeen such q thin done In Nelson
Morris d Co.'S establishment, Of which Mr..
Wilpoo Ia The managar