The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1906-06-08
CHICAGO PACKING
HOUSES ARE DIRTY

Horrifying revelations almost teyond
belief are made in the special report on
the Chicago packing house conditions
by Commissioners of Labor Neill and
Reynolds of New York. 1t was SUBJ
mltted to congress by the president. In
a message accompanying the report,
President Roosevelt describes conitions
as revolving aud urges immediate dras.
tic legislation according to the Beve-
ridge amendment.
The report is not nice reading, as the
statements are sickening and show
packers in general have displayed a
disregard not only to common rules of
sanitation but even to decency. The
report says the stockyards pavements
are mostly of brick filled with manure
and refuse not properly cleaned; Shiny
and m%alodorous when wet and dusty
when dry. Stock which died en- route
is thrown on the platform.
Interior buildings are mostly of
wood, and the floors usually of wood,
are soaked and Shiny, and the rooms
are poorly lighted, lily ventilated and
many WASbOub WAAuOW6s n bJEICludLlC
ventilation was not found anywhere.
But n porcelain receptical was found
for meats. The sanitary convenciences
for employees shows the employers are
mediterranean to cleanliness.
Retiring rooms, which adjoin the
working rooms, are usually cut off from
the latter by low partitions; many are
without a side air opening. Conditions
that affect most directly the cleanli-
ness of food products are the frequent
absence of labatory provisions in the
privies. Washing sinks are either an
furnished at all or small and dirty ;
neither towels, soap or toilet paper be-
ing provided. Men and women return
directly from these places to plunge
their unwashed hands into the meat
products and sausages.
"We saw meat shoveled from the
filthy floors, piled on tables and rarely
washed, pushed in rotten box carts al
ways gathering dirt, splinters, floor
filth or expectorations of tuberculosis
from diseased workers.
"As an example of the disregard of
the employees of cleanliness in hand.
ling dressed meats we saw killed, a
cleaned hog started to the cooler fall
from and slid part way into the filthy
mems privy, where it was picked up
by two employees, placed on a truck
and carried into the cooling room with
no effort made to clean it. The radical
defect in the present system of inspec-
ton will not go far enough being con-
fined on the healthful animals at the
time of the killing. There is nc gov
eminent inspection in preparing sau'
sages and other products although they
bear tables stating Government in
spected.
The Investigators found an absence
of cleanliness everywhere in handling
meat and report that workers climb
over heaps of meat and select the
pieces they wish land frequently throw
them upon the dirty floors beside the
bench. In cutting meat on the bench
as they work it is usually held against
the aprons which, as a rule, are indie
scribably filthy. Men were seen tc
stand on the meat tables with their
shoes covered with filth. During the
lunch hour they are seen to sit on the
sspot where the meats are cot under
the superintendent eyes.
The phrase on labels, Quality
guaranteed beneath the inspection
mark was pronounced un~warranted and
un~justifable, as the state inspectors
have not known what else may have
been placed in cans additional to 'in'
spected meat" The report refers tc
m~istreatment accorded employees, es-
pectially women, and closes with
number of recommendations which are
covered in the presidents message.
.n -NuA