Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-06-08
Presidents Message on Meat Inspection.

PRESIDENTS Message on Meat inspection,
The President transmitted to Congress
Monday the report of DR.. Charles p.
Neill and James b. Reynolds, the spec
ial commissioners who, in accordance with
his request, investigated the conditions
Of the stock yards at Chicago. This re-
port is Of a preliminary nature, but the
President says it shows the need Of i'm
mediate action by Congress in the direc-
ton Of providing a drastic and thorough
going inspection by the government Of
all stock yards and packing houses and
of their products so far as they enter into
interstate or foreign commerce.
This short inspection, covering a pc
riod of two and one-half weeks revealed
revolving condition in the packing
houses. Neither the yards nor the houses
are kept reasonably clean and the method
Of handling and preparing food products
is uncleanly and dangerous to health. The
present law prohibits the shipment Of un-
inspected meat to foreign countries but
there is no such provision for meats
shipped in interstate commerce. The
President says law is needed which will
enable the government inspectors to in
spect and supervise from the hoof to
the can" the preparation OF the meat food
product.
The evil seems to be much less in the
sale Of dressed caroasses than in the sale
OF canned and prepared products and very
much less in the products sent abroad
than in those used at home. The Presi-
dent is in favor Of meeting the expense
OF inspection through a fee levied on each
animal slaughtered and this would not
exceed eight cents per head. The re-
port does not cover the alleged use Of
deleterious chemicals nor the alleged doc
toring Of tainted meat.
The President in closing his message
commends to the favorable consideration
OF Congress the so-called Beveridge
amendment, which was passed by the
Senate.
The report of the commissioners is an
extended document but is well worth a
| thorough reading. 1t shows that in the
packing industry The common decencies
of life are ignored and that indescribable
filth is common in the preparation Of
meats for canning. The tables and recep-
tacles are of wood, only half cleansed
with meat scraps, greasy accumulations
! and collections Of dirt adhering to them
Nauseating odors arise from the dirty
blood-soaked, rotting wooden floors and
| abominable conditions prevail in the toi-
let arrangements for the employees, who
| with their unwashed hands, handle the
food products. The scraps of meat are
in some cases taken from the filthy floors
with dirt. splinters and expectoration o.
tuberculous workers mixed with the gen
eral mass. No model building for the
preparation of food products has beer
built in the stock yards Of Chicago. Mr.
Reynolds. in a brief visit to New York
found that large slaughtering establish
ment there was paved with bricks ant
cement and with other rooms finished il
white porcelain-lined bricks and curve'
tiled floors so that a thorough cleaning
process took place at the end Of eacl
days work. The report shows that tn
labels on canned goods are entirely mis-
leading and that the inspectors reall
know nothing about the contents of tn
cans.
One immediate effect of the President
message is seen in the frenzied attemp
at Chicago in at least three Of the bi
plants TO remedy the conditions con
demned in the report.