The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-06-19
THE FACTS ABOUT
THE PACKING HOUSES


ing remedied. This contention is not
borne out by the facts. One of the
large plants erected within recent years
has most of the defects of the older
buildings 1t is true that three large
model buildings have been erected, but
one is an Office building while the
other two contain only cooling, storage,
and sales rooms. No model building
for the preparation of food products
has been built in the stoekyards of
Chicago.
MODEL PLANT IN NEW YORK.
uI.-MODEL SLAUGHTER HOUSE
IN CONTRAST WITH THOSE OF
CHICAGO. In impressive contrast to
the conditions that we say in the stock
yards of Chicago is an establishment
that Mr.. Reynolds visited in New York
city. 1t we'll merits a description in
those particulars in which it is vastly
superior to similar oncerns in Chicago
The two upper floors used for cattle
pens are paved with well-laid bricks
and cement, with side walls Of brick,
the top floor being covered to protect
the cattle from the weather. The killing
floor is paved with bluestone, sloping
towards well-arranged drains, and
has a large air shaft for special VEN
tilation and abundant windows. The
ceiling and upper side walls are Of hard
cement with steel cross beams and
cement faced steel supports. The
lower side walls are. covered with white
porcelain brick. When the slaughter
ing Of each day Is finished water is
turned on and in not more than fifteen
minutes the room is so thoroughly
cleansed that all perceptible odors and
traces of the work are remved.
VENTILATION Is EXCELLENT
"Other rooms, such as those for cool
ing and storage, are of similar con-
struction to the killing floor. White
porcelain-lined bricks and curved tiles
join floors and side walls, that no cor
ners may retain dirt and refuse Ven
tilation is everywhere excellent and
light abundant, both these matters
having evidently received careful con-
sideration in planning the building.
The privies contain separate sections
with self-hushipg bowls, white porce-
lain-lned washbasins, shower baths ana
mirrors. Towels and toilet paper
are provided, and everything Is kept
clean. The effect of all these excelen-
cies of construction and arrangement
is evident in promoting the care OF
the products and in elevating the
morals of the workers
THE same principles OF sanitation
and the same care of the health and
cleanliness of the workers would re-
yolutionize the stockyards Of Chicago
of G11ph standard
should be the concern of the national
government and the city of Chicago.
"IJnder exciting conditions the bur
den of protecting the cleanliness ana
yvholesomeness of the products and the
health of the workers and of improVipg
the conditions under which the work is
performed must fall upon the national
government
MEAT HANDLED UNCLEANLY.
ENTERTAINMENT OF MEATS AND
PREPARED FOOD PRODUCrS.-Un-
cleanliness in handling products-An
absence of cleanliness was also found
everywhere in the handling OF meat
being prepared for the various meat
food products. After killing, carcasses
are well washed and up to the time
they reach the cooling room are handled
in a fairly sanitary and cleanly man
ner. The parts that leave the cooling
room for treatment in bulk are also
handled with regard to cleanliness, but
the parts that are sent from the cool
ing TO those departments OF the pack
ing houses in which various forms OF
meat products are prepared are hahd-
led with no regard whatever for clean
illness. In some of the largest estab-
Iishments sides that are sent to what IS
known as the boning room are thrown
in a heap upon the floor. The workers
climb. over these heaps of meat, select
the pieces they wish and frequently
throw them down upon the dirty floor
beside their working bench.
MEN CLIMB ON CUTTING TABLES.
Gwen in cutting the meat upon the
bench the work is usually held pressed
against their aprons, and these aprons
were. as a rule, indescribably filthy.
They were made in most cases OF
leather or of rough sacking and bore
long-accumuated grease ana art III
only q few places We're suitable OH
cloth aprons worn. Moreover men
were seen to climb from the floor ana
stand, with shoes dirty with the refuse
Of the floors, on the tables upon Whleh
the meat was handled, and all this uh-
der the very eye of the superintendent
of the room, showing that this was
the common practice.
SMOKED PRODUCT FROM FLOOR
SCRAPS.
Meat scraps were also found being
shoveled into deceptacles from dirty
floors where they were left to lie until
again shoveled into barrels or into
machines for chopping. These floors
it must be noted, were in most cases
damp and soggy, in dark, in-ventilated
rooms, and the employees, in utter
ignorance of cleanliness or danger to
health, expectorated at will upon them
Il :. ...n.a 40 90 ~. 1lnnnt ehnMnlnl from