The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-06-09
FILTH AT STOCK YARDS
So Says a Committee Appointed
TO Investigate
The People Are Put on Their Guard as
to Methods of Handling Meat
President Roosevelt Suggests I'm
mediate Relief to Protect the People
Against Diseased neats.

1t seems that complaint was recent
ly made to the authorities at Washing
ton, d. G. that filth and uncleanliness
characterized the handling of carcas-
SeS and meats at the great stock yards,
and that commission was appointed
to look into conditions. That COM
mission only few days ago made it's
report which is an eye opener to the
country at large. Among other things
the reports says:
We saw meat ShOveled from filthy
wooden floors, piled on tables rarely
washed, pushed from room to room in
rotten box carts, in all of which pro-
ceSSeS it was in the way of gathering
dirt, SplinterS from the floor and filth.
1t was always the reply that this meat
would afterwards be cooked and that
this sterilization would prevent any
danger from it's use. A very consider
able portion of the meat SO handled is
sent out as smoked products and in
the form Of Sausages, which are pre-
pared to by eaten without being cook
ed.
"A particularly glaring instance of
uncleanlineSS was found in a room
where the best grade of sausageS was
being prepared for export.
The situation, as we saw it, in
these huge establishments tends nec-
esSarily and inevitably to the moral
degradation of thousands of workers,
who are forced to spend their working
hours under conditions that are en-
tirely unnecessary and objectionable
and which are constant menace not
only to their own health, but to the
health OF those who use the food pro-
ducts prepared. The report further
states that tuberculosis persons are
constantly splitting on the floors of the
meat houses over which parts of ami
mails are frequently dragged and upon
which PARTICLES of meat are constantly
falling and are afterwards being work
ed into SauSages and other food pro-
ducts. Upon the RECEIPT of the re-
port of the commission, President
Roosevelt imm ediately sent message
to Congress urging remedial legislation
in which among others things he
said:
inspection OF meat food products
at all stages of preparation is not Sc
cured by the passage of legislation re-
l shall feel compelled to
order that inspection labels and cer-
tificateS on canned products shall not
be used hereafter.
The report shows that the stock |
yards and packing houses are not kept |
even reasonably clean, and that the
method of handling and preparing
food products is uncleanly and dang
erOuS to health. Under existing law |
the national government has no power |
to enforce inspection of the many
forms of prepared meat food products
that are daily going from the packing
houses into interstate commerce.
Owing to an inadequate appropriation
the department of agriculture is not
even able to place inspectors in all eS-
adjustments desiring them.
The present law prohibits the ship
nent of uninSpected meat to foreign
but there is no provision
orbidding the shipment of uuinSpect-
ID meat. Interstate commerce is left
,pen to traffic in deceased or spoiled
meats. If, as has been alleged on
good authority, further
wills exist, such aS the improper use
# chemicals and dyes, the govern
nent lacks power to remedy them.
A law is needed which will enable
he inspectors of the general govern
nent to inspect and supervise from
he hoof to the can the preparation of
he meat food product. The evil
GEMS to be much less in the sale of
reSSed carcaSSeS than in the sale of
AIMED and other prepared products,
nd very much less as regards products
ent abroad than as regards those {
Sed at home" {