The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-06-04

L.
and The same care OF 1he health ana
clesalinesszof the workers would rer;
|.olurionize the stock yards Of Chicago,
ard the attainment CT suck stand.
ard should be the concern of tae Ma
conal Government and Of the city OF
Chicago,
Under existing conditions the bur
den Of projecting the cleanliness and
wholesomeaess of the products and
the health of the workers and of I'm
proving the conditions Under which
t2,e work Is performed, must fan upon
the National Government
fV.-Treatn1=ne Of Meats and Pre-.
pared Food Produces
Cneleaniiress in handling prod
uctc.-An absence of cleanliness was
also found everywhere In the hand
ling OF meat beics prepared for the
various meat-fooi produces. After
killing. carcasSes are well washed. and
up to the time they reac:, the cooling
room are handled in a fairly sanitary
and cleanly manner. The parts thar
leave the cooling room for treat
reat in bulk are also handled with
regard 10 cleanliness. bur the parts
that are sent from the cooling room
to those departments OF the packing
houses in which various forms OF
meat products are prepared are han,
died with no regard whatever for
cleanliness. In some of the largest
establishments sides that are sent
are thrown in heap upon the floor
The workers climb over these heaps
of meat. select the pieces they wish.
and frequently throw them down upon
the dirty floor beside their working
bench. Even in cutting the meat
upon the bench. the work is usually
held pressed against their aprons,
and these aprons were. as a rule. in-
describably filthy. They were made
in most cases of leather or of rough
sackinG and bore long accumulated
grease and dirt In only a few places
were suitable oilclota aprons worn
Moreover. men were seen to climb
from the floor and stand with shoes
dirty with the refuse of the floors. on
the tables upon which the meat was
handed They we're seen at the
lunch hour sitting on the tables OF
the spot on which the meat product
was handled, and all this under the
very eye of the superintendent OF
the room. showing that this was the
common practice.
Neat scraps were also found being
shovelea into receptacles from dirty
floors where they were left to lie
again shoveled into barrels or into
machines for choppinS- These floors
it must be noted, were in most cases
damp and soSgy. in dark. iH-ventilat-
ed rooms. and the employees in utter
ignorance of cleanliness or danger to
health eXpectoratcd at viii upon
them In a word. We saw meat SHOW
eled from filthy wooden floors, piled
on tables rarely washed. pushed from.
room to room rotten box carts, In
all Of which processes it was in the
filth, and the expectoration of tuber-
culouS and other diseased workers
Where comment was made to floor
superintendentS about tleSe matters,
it was always the reply that this
meat would afterwards be cooked.
and that this sterilization would pre-
vent any danger from its use Even
this. it may be pointed out in ass
ing, is not wholly true a very con
siderable portion of the meat so han
died is sent out as smoked products
and in the form of sausages. which
are prepared to be eaten without be-
ing cooked
particularly SiarinG instance OF
unclean1iness was found in room
where the best grade of sausage was
being prepared for export 1t was
made from carefully selected meats.
and was being prepared to be eaten
uncooHed In this case the employe
carted the chopped up meat across
room in a barrow. the handles OF
which were filthy with grease. The
meat was then thrown out upon ia,
bles. and the employe climbed upon
the table. handled the meat with his
unwashed hands, kne1t with his dirty
apron and trousers in contact with
the meat he was spreading out, and,
after he had finished his operation,
again took hold Of the dirty handles
OF the wheelbarow, went back for