Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-06
MEATSCLRE BRINGS RESULTS
Change in Packing Houses, Especially At
CHICAGO, il Noticeable
BIG INDUSTRY HURT, BUT WILL RECOVER
Secretary Wilson Expresses Surprise
az Few Applications for inspectors
and Thinks some Concerns
VIII Regret hardness.
prom a stan correspondent)

will bear a brand or a label marked
''U. s. Inspected and Passed" And &C
cording to the regulations which were is-
sued by the secretary OF agriculture the
other day this brand or label will be
notification to the world that the United
States absolutely guarantees, under It's
Official seal, that the product is clean
wholesome and that II was packed and
slaughtered under the most careful sani-
tary conditions.
According to the census reports Of 1900
there were 90 packing plants in the United
States. The total capital invested in the
industry was S2s7. see, 40. and the value Of
the annual product Of these establishments
reached the enormous total of S91ael4,624.
OF course, this included many small es-
Establishments which are not affected by the
Wadsworth- Beveridge law. The secretary
Of agriculture is not prepared TO say
how many of these plants will be subject
to government inspection, but the secretary
does say and he says II with emphasis
that no establishment which fails TO pro-
vide itself with government inspectors will
be permitted to ship a ham. a quarter Of
beef or a can of goods. in which meat
enters as a component part, to any place
outside the state In which the establish
ment Is located
Few Apply for InspectOrs.
Secretary Wilson is thorough in every
thing he does and he is particularly thor
ough in his examination into the condi-
tons of the packing houses which will
ask for government inspection. He has
visited a half dozen cities already and
has seen for himself what the conditions
are. He has taken the say So of no
employe, but has gone direct to headquar-
kte,,
himself. The secretary knows what i'm
provements have ben made and he is pre-
pared TO respond Immediately to any re-
quest which comes for the installation OF
the government inspection service in each
and every plant. Up to date somewhere
between 100 and $50 packing houses have
applied for government inspection. The
secretary is somewhat surprised that the
number is not greater and he does not
hesitate to express himself as believing
that many establishments will regret
their hardness when it is too late.
In the meantime he proposes to continue
his personal investigation. Thus far he
has found an exceedingly satisfactory
state Of affairs wherever he has gone
| There are today about 100 inspectors en-
| ployed in Chicago alone. Under the new
regulations, which have just been pro-
mulgated, about 100 additional men will
be required and these men will be charged
with the duty of examining every piece
Of meat which goes into the sausage ma
chine or into the can, and each package
of sausage and each can Of meat or any
food product whether Drawn, extract, sour
or whatever 1t may be termed must bear
a government label showing that IL has
been inspected and passed and thereby
guaranteeing it's wholesomeness.
Plants Are Now Clean.
1t is trite saying that where there Il
smoke there must be fire. There was un
doubleday some basis, in some of tn,
packing houses at least for the sensationa
statements that were made concerning tn,
conditions in the Chicago packing houses
But that the horrors were depicted II
colors hundred times more lurid than oc
casion demanded is equally true. Whatever
the sanitary conditions may have beer
three months ago, 1t is certain that today
the packing houses are as clean and san
itary in every particular as II is possible
to make them. The lavatories and closets
and in fact the whole plumbing equipment
is of the most modern up-to-date con
struction. The walls and ceilings of all tn
rooms are as clean as whitewash and pain
will make them. Wherever It has beef
possible TO do so, cement and asphalt hav
been substituted for boards on the floor
and zinc lined carts are in evidence every
where But wooden vehicles are OF course
used in many parts OF the establishment
for carrying out livers, hides and offa
and these carts are not attractive to lool
upon-nor can they be. As to the appear
ance Of the employees themselves, the uni
form OF the pig-stIcker Is blood-staine
Ia
daily labor and the man who slaughter
the OK does not wear a Tuxedo coat. Blu
the girls in all the sausage rooms and 4
the canning department of every establish
ment are decked out in white aprons owe
Bingham dresses which are washed ever
day in laundries supplied for the purpose
The same care is taken OF the clothing @
the men in these departments, and on tn
whole IL would be dlfficuit to suggest wher
changes for the better in the way of clean
illness could be made. Even the floors I
these rooms are sprinkled with salt eac
morning in order to prevent the decompc
sition OF any particles OF meat which ma
fall upon them.
Foreigners Inspect for ThemseIvel
During the past four weeks represents
tives OF many foreign governments hav
made oficial inspections of the Chicag
plants. Lieutenant Colonel Hobbs of III
British army was commissioned by his GOV
eminent TO examine for the subsistence d.
: partment of the British army the existin
} conditions IN the Chicago packing house
, Mr.. Jacobsen was there on a like missio
) from Norway. The Japanese consul stI
l toned in Chicago, and in fact the entii
consular body there has been engaged
! similar investigation. and without e.
ception these oficials have reported to the
respective governments that American met
. food products are wholesome, sound, healtl
, full and packed under sanitary condition
which make them In every respect d.
sIrable.
The big Six" which really consists
: seven Arms, namely: Morris Compan
) the oldest in the business. Swift and Con
! pany. Armour & Company, Swarzschild
A sulzberger, the Cudahy company, mot repr
I sented in Chicago, the National Packir
= company and Libby, Mcneil & Libby, {
!, IS per cent OF the slsughtering and packir
business in the United States. Every OF
E OF these firms, with the exception Of Swi
and Company who can no goods has suffer,
a falling on of IS to 80 per cent in its 70
! eiEn trade during the past three month
Few Of them are packing any came
goods today except 20 MI contracts. al
I each and every one of them is anxious tn
the meat inspection law shall be put in