The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-06-08
THE MESSAGE

I'LL UiLOSnOL
To the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives-l submit herewith the re-
port % James Benson Reynolds and
Comuiss iorer Charles +. Neil, the
special committee whom | appointed
a. invt stigate into the conditions II
The stock Yards Of Chicago and report
thereon 10 me- This report is q a
preliminary natIre / submit i 70 YOU
now because il shows the urgent need
OF immediate action BY the congress
In Tie direction al providing drastic
and ;aorough-gollE inspection by the
federal government OF all stock yards
and hacking louses and OF ther prod
nets. 20 Tar as Tie latter enter into
Interstate or foreign commerce. The
conditions shown hy even rhis short
inspection 20 exist in the Chicaso
stock ards are revolving. X is i'm
perauyeIy necessary in the interest Of
hecSth and deceny that they should be
radically changed.
Before had received the report Of
RIessrs. reynolds and Nein I had d.
rected thaJ labels placed upon any
package of food products should state
o-iv that the carcass OF the animal
from which the meat was taken had
2. II inspected al the time OF slauEh-
ter II inspection Of meatfoOd prod
acts a. an stages OF preparation is not
secured by the passage Of the legs
zion recommended. / shall feel com
PEELED 10 orde that inspection labels
aud certificates On canned products
shall not be used hereafter.
Under existing law the national gov
eminent has no power 20 enforce in
spection Of the many forms Of pre-
pared meatfood products that are
daily going from the packing houses
into Interstate commerce. and. owing
TO an inadequate appropriation, the
department Of agriculture is not even
able TO place inspectors IN all estab-
nshments desiring them. The present
law prohibits the shipment OF uuin-
spectei meat 70 70. 'ign countries. but
there is no S.ovisiC fOrbidtine the
-rrpr-r-rr Uf unin spect 4 meats in in
ferstate commerce. anf thus the ave
nues Of interstate commerce are left
open 20 traffic in diseased or spoiled
meats H. a. been alleged on seem
ingiy good authority. further evils ex-
fst such as the improper use Of chem
fcals and dyes. the government lacks
power 70 remedy them. A Law IS need
ed which will enable the inspectors OF
the general 20. ernment to inspect and
supervise from the hoof 70 the cen
the preparation OF the mpatfood
product. The .vil seems 10 be much
less IN the sale of dressed carcasses
than in the sale Of canned and pre-
pared products.
In my judgment the expense OF in
spection should be paid by a ice levied
or each animal slaughtered II this
Is nor done the whole purpose Of the
law can az any time be defeated
through an insufficient appropriation
and whenever there was no particular
public interest in the subject il would
b not only easy. but natural Thus
a. make the appropriation insufficient.
III II were not for this consideration
I should favor the government paying
Tor II.
The alarm expressed il certain GUAR
tiers concerning this feature should be
allaye6 By a realization Of the fact that
n no case. under such a law. would
the cast OF inspection exceed eight
cents rer head call special atten
zion 20 the fact that this report Il
preliminary and that the investigation
is still unfinished II is not yet pos
sible 70 report on the alleged abuses
fn the use Of deleterious chemica
compounds in connection with cannins
and preserving meat products. nor o.
the alleged doctoring in this fashion
of tainted meats and OF products re
turned 10 the packers rs having grow
unstable from age or from other res
sons Grave allegations are made i
reference TO abuses Of this nature.
let me repeat that un>ler the pres
ent law there is practically no metho
OF stopping these abuses If they Shout
he discovered 70 exist. Legislation I
needed in order TO prevent The poss
bility of all alb ises in the future
no LEGISLATION is passed. then the ey
cellcnt results accomplished BIZ n
work OF this special committee will or
dure only 50 long as the memory Q
the committees work is fresh, and
recurrence Of the abuse IS absoluiel
certain
! urge the immediate cnactioa int
law n provisions which will enabl
the department CT agriculture 20 II