The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-06-14
ACCOMPANIED BY A MESSAGE
Urges Enactment of Law for In-
spection of Meats by Fed
eral Government.
hard BLOW AT CANNED GOODS
Treatment of Employees and Sanitary
Arrangements Criticised in
the Report = Health
Is Menaced.

The following message of President
Roosevelt concerning conditions in the
Chicago stockyards, accompanied by
the Reynolds-Neill report, has just
been transmitted to congress:
The senate and house Of representa-
tiyes: 1 transmit herewith the report
of Mr.. James Bronson Reynolds and
Commissioner Charles P. Neill, the
special committee whom / appointed
to investigate into the conditions IN
the stockyards of Chicago and report
thereon to me- This report is of a pre-
liminary nature. l submit it to you
now because it shows the urgent need
of immediate action by the congress
in the direction Of providing a drastic
and thorough going inspection by the
federal government of all stockyards
and packing houses and Of their
products so far as the latter enter into
interstate or foreign commerce. The
conditions shown by even this short
inspection to exist in the Chicago
stockyards are revolving. It is inn
peratiyely necessary in the interest
and decency that they should be radi-
canJ changed. Under the existing iaa
it is wholly impossible to secure salts
factory results.
Wholly Unexpected Conditions
When my attention was first di-
rected to this matter an investigation
was made under the bureau of animal
industry of the department Of agri-
culture. When the preliminary state
ments Of this investigation were
brought to my attention they showed
such defects in the law and such Who'll
" unexpected conditions that deemed
it best to have a further immediate
investigation by men not connected
with the bureau, and accordingly APP
pointed Messrs. Reynolds and NeiIl 1t
was impossible under the existing law
that satisfactory work should be done
by the bureau of animal industry. |
am now, however, examining the way
IN which the work actually was done.
Before ! had received the report of
Messrs. Reynolds and Nelll, l had Ill
rected that labels placed upon any
package of meat food products should
state only that the carcass of the ami
NAL from which the meat was taken
had been inspected at the time of
slaughter. II inspection of meat food
products at all stages of preparation
is not secured by the passage Of legis-
lation recommended, shall feel COM
PEELED to order that inspection labels
and certificates on canned products
shall not be used Hereafter.
Not Kept Reasonably Clean,
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 ard dangerous
to health. Under existing law the ma
tional government has no power to en-
force 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 de
partment of agriculture is not even
able to place inspectors in all estaD-
lishments desiring them. The pres
ent law prohibits the shipment of un-
inspected meat to foreign countries.
but there is no provision forbidding
the shipment Of uninspected meats In
Tn1'npctaTn AK
avenues OF interstate commerce are
left open to traffic in diseased or
spoiled meats. If, as has been al
legged on seemingly good authority,
further evils exist such as the inn
proper use of chemicals and dyes, the
government lacks power to remedy
them. A law is needed which will
enable the inspectors of the general
government to inspect and supervise
from the hoof to the can the prepara-
tion Of the meat food product. The
evil seems to be much less in the sale
CT dressed carcasses than in the sale
OF canned and other prepared prod
ucts; and very much less as regards
products sent abroad than as regards
chose used at home.
Expense OF Inspection.
In my judgment the expense Of the
inspection should be paid by a fee
levied on each animal slaughtered If
this is not done, the whole purpose
Of the law can at any time be de-
feated through an insufficient appro-
priation; and whenever there was no
particular public interest In the sub
ject it would be not only easy but
natural thus to make the appropria-
ton insufficient. If it were not for
this consideration, should favor the
government paying for the inspection.
The alarm expressed In certain