The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-05

The results of our observations have already been partly given. Other in up. and still secure the stamp of Coy ernment inspection are here given. In one well-known establishment we came upon fresh meat being shoveled being added to stale scraps that had lain on q dirty floor in the corner of room for some days previous. In another establishment. equally well well with several hundred pounds of cook ed scraps of beef and other meats. Some of these meat scraps were dry, in the heap were found pieces of pig skin, and even some bits of rope strands and other rubbish. Inquiry evoked the frank admission from the man in and used in making "potted ham,
 < All of these canned products bear labels of which the following is a
 l1ss Abattoir No.-
 The contents of this package have
 been inspected according to the
 act of Congress of March 3, 1891.
 Quality Guaranteed.
 z The phraseoiogy of these labels is wholly unwarranted. The Govern ment inspectors pass only upon the healthfulness, of the animal at the time of killing. They know nothing of the processes through which the meat has passed since this inspection. They do not know what else may have been placed in the cans in addition to in they know nothing about. the con tents' of the can upon which the pack CTS place these layels-do not even know that it contains what it purports anteed' immediately following the statements as to Government inspec- tion is wholly unjustlfiabie It de ceives and is plainly designed to de- urally infers from the label that the Government guarantees the contents of the can to be what 1t purports to be;
 Tn another establishment piles of sausage an ddry moldy canned meats, admittedly several years old, were found, which the superintendent stat ed to us would be tanked and convert made of this was wholly optional with the sdperintendents or representatives of the hackers, as the Government does not concern itself with the disposition of meats after they have passed inspec- tion on the killing floor. It might all be treated with chemicals. mixed with other meats. turned out in any form of meat product desired, and yet the packages or receptacles In which 1t was to be shipped out to the pub lie would be marked with label that their contents had been Government inspected" It is not alleged iS; here ,s, that
 
 The case is pointed out as one showing the glaring opportunity for the mis- use of label bearing the name and the implied guaranty of the United
 Another instance of abuse in the use of the labels came to our notice. In two different establishments great stocks of old canned goods were being move the old labels. They. were then subjected to sufficient heat to "liven up" the contents-to use the phrase of fresb fne rGem 1sbels Wpith the Government name on them. were to be placed upon the cans, and they were to be sent out bearing all the evidence of being a instances, by the admission of the su- perintendent, the stock thus being re- labeled was over two years old. Tn the other case the superintendent evad- ed a statement of how old the goods
 V.--Treatment of Employees.
 The lack of consideration for the health aud comfort of the laborers m the Chicago stock yards seems to De a direct consequence of the system of administration that prevails. The va rious departments are under the direct control of superintendents who claim to use full authority in dealing with the employees and who seem to ignore all considerations except those of the account book. Under this system pro- per care Ol IHe pTOuuCbS anu VI the health and comfort of the employees Is impossible. and the consuper sui fers in consequence. The insanitary conditions in which the laborers work forced to maintain inevitably affect their health. Physicians state that tu- berculosis is disproportionately preva- lent in the stock yards, and the victims spongy wooden floors of the dark work rooms, from which falling scraps of meat are later shoveled up to be con- verted into food products.
 Even the ordinary decencies of life are completely ignored. In practically all cases the doors of the toilet rooms open directly into the working rooms, the privies of men and women frequent ly adjoin, and the entrances are some- times no more than foot or two apart. In other cases there are no privies for women in the rooms in which they. work. and to reach the down couple of flights of stairs In one noticeable instance the prtvy Tor the women working in several adJofn- ing rooms was in room In which men chiefly were employed. and every girl going to use this had to pass by the working places of dozens Of male op- eratives and enter the privy the door of which was not six feet from the working place of one of the men ope- iratives. As previously noted in the privies for men and women alike there are no partitions. but simply a long row of open seats. Rest rooms. where tired women workers might go for a short rest, were found as rare exeep- tions. and in some establishments wo- men are even placed In charge of privies chiefly for the purpose, 1t was stated, to see that the girls did not absent themselves too long from their work under the excuse of visiting them. In room was simply one end of the privy partitioned off by six-foot partition from the remaining inclosure. A few girls were found using this, not only able place in which to sit to eat their luncheon
 Much of the work in connection with the handling of meat has to be car ried on in rooms of a low temperature, but even here a callous disregard was everywhere seen for the comfort of those who worked in these rooms. Girls and women were found in rooms reg istering a temperature of 3S degrees F, without any ventilation whatever, depending entirely upon artificial light The floors were wet and soggy, and in some cases covered with water, so that the girls had to stand In boxes of saw dust as protection for their feet. In a few cases even drippings from the refrigerator rooms above trickled of the workers and upon the food pro ducts being prepared. A very slight expense would have furnished drier floors and, protected them against the tricklings from the ceiling. It was asserted by the superintendent of these rooms that this low temperature was essential to the proper keeping of the meat; but precisely similar work was found in other establishments carried on in rooms kept at a fair temperature. In many cases girls of Is. IT and IS years stand ten hours day at work much of which could be carried on while sitting down.
 In several establishments well-man aged restaurants were provided for the clerical force, and in one instance a