Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-06-08

cellent results accomplished by the
work of this special committee will
endure only SO long as the memory of
recrudescence of the abuses is abso-
lutely certain.
Il urge the immediate enactment in
to law of provisions which will en-
able the department of agriculture ad
equately to inspect the meat and meat
food products entering into interstate
commerce and to supervise the meth
DDS of preparing the same, and to pre-
scribe the sanitary conditions under
which the work shall be performed.
therefore commend to your favorable
consideration and urge the enactment
substantially the provisions known as
senate amendment No. 20 to the act
making appropriations for the depart
ment of agriculture for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1907, as passed by the
senate, this amendment being common
ly known as the Beveridge amendment
(Signed.)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
THE White House June 4, 1906"
The report of j. B. Reynolds and
Commissioner Neill says that two and
one-half weeks were spent in the in
yestigation in Chicago during which
w went through the principal pack
h. 1D i .%,s~.
togther with few of the smaller Ones
A day was spent by Mr. Reynolds in
New York City in the investigation
of its leading slaughter houses"
The report says that in many of the
rooms where water is used freely the
floors are soaked and Shiny and the
dark and dingy rooms are naturally
not kept suitably clean. An absence
of cleanliness was found everywhere
in the handling of meat being prepar-
ed for the various meat food products
The parts that are sent from the cool
ing room to these departments where
various forms of meat products are
prepared are handled with no regard
whatever for cleanliness. The workers
Gimp over heaps of meat, select the
pieces they wish, and frequently throw
them down upon the dirty floor beside
their bench.
Sickening Details.
I'm a word" the report adds, I'VE
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 processes it
was in the way Of gathering dirt, splin-
terS and floor filth. 1t was always the
reply that this meat would afterward
be cooked and that this sterilization
would prevent any danger from its use
A very considerable portion of the
meat SO handled is sent out as smoked
products and in the form of sausages
which are prepared to be eaten with
out being cooked.
"A particularly glazing instance Of
uncleanliness was found in room
being prepared for export"
the report says that a radical de
feet in the inspection system is thai
: it is confined at present by law tt
passing on the healthfulness of ami
mails at the time of killing, but thai
the meat that is used in sausage anC
the various forms of canned products
and other prepared meat foods goes
through many processes, in all Of
which there is a possibility of contain
ination through unsanitary handling
and further danger through the use o.
chemicals. During all these processe:
there is no government inspection al
though these products when sent on
bear label stating they have bee,
passed upon by the government in
spectors.
The report arraigns the sanitar!
provisions in the buildings as abomi
nable and says the men and womel
plunge their unwashed hands into thu
meat to be converted into food pro
ducts. The report says the burde,
J of protecting the cleanliness and tn
wholesomeness of the products an
: the health of the workers and ifnproy
ing the conditions must fall upon tn
national government
!, Packers Indifferent.
Department superintendent 'seeI
to ignore all considerations except tn
l account book" and proper care of tn
T products and of the health and con
/ fort of tn employees is impossible an
the consumer consequently suffers. TT
berculosis victims eXpectorate on tn
spongy wooden floors of the dark wor
rooms, from which fallen scraps G
} meat are later shoveled up to be late
converted into food products.
Even the ordinary decencies of lif
e are completely ignored" says the re
e port, in discussing the arrangement
i for men and women employed. Tn
# report says:
q THE whole situation as we saw
|, in these huge establishments Lead
r necessarily and inevitably to the MOI
e al degradation of thousands of wOrl