Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-06-08
Representative OF
PACKERS IS Heard
CHARGES REGARDING CoNDI-
TIONS AT CHICAGO STOCK
YARDS ARE DENIED.
NELSON MORRIS MAN
BEFORE HOUSE BODY
Mr.. Wilson Invites Committee OH
Agriculture to Investigate Plants
in Person-Says Diseased Animals
Are Not Sold for Food.

committee on agriculture Wednesday
decided to comply with the request OF
the Chicago packers to be heard on
the Neill-Reynolds report regarding
conditions in the Chicago packing
houses. The request was made by
Thomas E. Wilson, manager Cor the
Nelson Morris company. but in this
instance was authorized to speak Tor
all the Chicago packers. Before hear
ing Mr.. Wilson, the committee notified
the department of agriculture and
Mr. Neill. Secretary Wilson, DR.. A.
D. Melvin of the department, and Mr..
Neill at once came to the capitol, and
the hearing began shortly before
noon.
NeillReynolds Charges Denied.
Mr.. Wilson made a general de-
nial OF the existence Of conditions
In the packing houses of Chicago
as set forth in the Reynolds re-
port. He began by inviting the COM
mittee to come to Chicago and spend
week In personal investigation of
conditions. That, he said, would be
the only way for members to gain
really were. Some of the suggestions
made in the report. he said, had al
ready been complied with by the pack
ers. such as additional sanitary facil-
tiles.
Az to the charge that canned meats
were boiled in water to "freshen them
up," Mr. Wilson said there was abSO-
lutely nothing in this. Canned meat,
he said, was as good five years after it
had been put up as 1t was five minutes
afterwards, providing no air had got
to It, Ii air had reached the meat, it
would be spoiled beyond being fresh
ened up. What the cans were put in
hot water for was to soak off the old
label. which, he said, was an injury to
the appearance OF the gossis on sale. :
Diseased Animals Made Into Grease.
He denied absolutely that there were
any diseased cattle or hogs butchered
for food. In every car load of cattle
or hogs, he said, some were likely to
be dead, and some diseased. The dead
or diseased hogs and cattle were sent
to the Standard Rendering company,
which was very different institution
from the Standard Slaughtering COM
pany, although the two were likely to
be confused in the mind. The render
Ing comDeny turned the dead and dis
eased meat into grease which was a
co-product in the manufacture of soap.
Mr. Wilson described in detail the
operation Of preparing canned meats,
and when asked by Representative
Scott. OF Kansas, member of the COM
mittee, How about the rope and
other foreign matter found with the
scraps on the floor," Mr.. Wilson ex-
planned that what was probably seen
In this instance was the string on the
knuckle end of what had been dried
beef. This string was used with which
10 hang the beef in the smokehouse,
and when the beef had been sliced off,
this knuckle end was left There was
a bone in it, and he said 1t was i'm
possible to use 1t. The bone would
smash the machine If an attempt was
made to use It.
Il do not believe Mr.. Neill got any
statement from anyone that they were
going to chop these pieces up. II he
did, 1t was from some one who did
not know, or he did not get the whole
statement
Floors Scrubbed Nightly.
Representative Haskins asked about
the dirty floors.
These tioors," replied Mr.. Wilson,
''are scrubbed every night as clean as
wood can be scrubbed. They are as
clean as any kitchen"
Taking up the recommendations Of
Messrs. Neill and Reynolds looking to
the improvement Of conditions, Mr..
Wilson said the packers did not object
to government regulation of sanitary
conditions, but that they did object to
the secretary of agriculture being
made the judge of what is sanitary.
why, he might call in outside talent
which was inexperienced as to pack
ing houses and the business of slaugh-
terfng, just as has been done recent
ly," continued Mr.. Wilson. Certainly
we should object to that. There are
experts on the question of sanitation
and we have no objection to the clos
est scrutiny from these"
Supervision Of every branch Of the
packing business was not objected to
by the packers, said Mr.. Wilson The
government may put on as many in
spectors as it desires. he added, so
long as the packers do not have to
pay for them. He said the packing
business would be benefited by the in
spection of the different branches from
the "hoof to the can Good inspec-
tion is what the packers want, he de-
clared.
Object to Date on Cans.
In addition to the question Of who
shall be the judge of sanitation, Mr.
Wilson said that the only other sug-
gestion made by the Neill-Reynolds
report to which the packers would
have any objection is the requirement
that the date Of canning be placed on
all canned articles. He said that
would serve no purpose except to in
jure the canned mea. business. "Nat-