Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-06-15
MESSAGE ON MEATS.
PRESIDENT COMMENTS On CON-
DITIONS IN PAChINGToWN.
Rcporf of iSsionrrS N"i!' m"
Reynolds Sent TO 'onGrr>s VIA
Demand that Law De P"S"ci 40.
ni.id Iusurction az sto"hH ards.

President Roosevelt Monday trans
mittcI to Congress the lir>t in>talnI"hl
of tho report of Charles l.. \rIII aiId
James Il. Reynolds, appointed by IlIm
20 investigate conditions i'll the 'Al'"S
&toCkyardS.
The report contains allcgnti"nS or Il
I.<rt SHrd of the first principles OF clean
iineSS in PackingtoWn, but fans 10
make many of the sensational charges
ll4lt have been rumCrcd. In comment
Ink upy,l the document the President
SAYS that it reveals Il 'revolting CON
d!tion OF affairs, but calls attention. 10
the fact that most of the allegations
Of his commissioners apply to canned
meats and not to the dressed prOuu"t
Tat is the main staple OF the peoples
food.
.As an absolutely necessary remedy,
Nj. Roosevelt recommends the passage
of the Bcvcrldge amendment providing
for Il rigorous government inspection
from root to can The cost of the
inspection must lie with the packers.
says. the President, if it is to be al all
effective. The message follows:
Message of the President.
The Senate and House of Representa-
lives: | transmit herewith the report of
James Bronson Reynolds and COMMITS
sioner Charles p. Neill, the special com
mittee whom | appointed to investigate
into the conditions in the stock yards OF
Chicago and report thereon to me. This
report is of a preliminary nature. | sub
NIT it to you now because it shows the
urgent need of immediate action by the
Congress in the direction of providing IA
drastic and thOroughgoing inspection by
the federal government OF al stock yards
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 stock yards are re-
voting. 1t is imperatiyely necessary in
the interest of health and of decency that
they should be radically changed. Under
the existing law it is wholly impossible
to secure satisfactory results.
When my attention was fist directed
to this matter an investigation was made
under the bureau of animal industry of
the Department of Agriculture. When the
IbItlllhlHdlN SldltllltllS VI tHIS IL - lSo
ton were brought to my attention they
showed such defects in the law and such
wholly unexpected conditions that I deem
ed it best to have a further immediate
investigation by men not connected with
the bureau, and accordingly appointed
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill. 1t was i'm
possible under the existing law that sat
isfactory work should be lone by the bu-
reau of animal industry. L am now,
however, examining the way in which the
work actually was done.
Before I had received the report of
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill 1 had direct
ed that labels placed upon any package of
meat food products should state only that
the carcass of the animal from which the
meat was taken mad been inspected at the
time of slaughter. If inspection of meat
food products at all stages of preparation
is not secured by the passage of legisla-
ton recommended l shall feel compelled
to order that inspection labels and certif-
Gates on canned products shall not be
used hereafter.
Not Even Reasonably Clean.
The report shows that the stockyards
and packing houses are not kept even rea-
sonably clean, and that the method of
udDull1S IL pltpdI1 lOou plouuClS Is
uncleanly and dangerous to health. Under
existing law the national government has
no power to enforce inspection of the
many forms of prepared meat food pro-
ducts that are daily going from the. pack
ing houses into interstate commerce. Ow-
ing to an inadequate appropriation the
Department of Agriculture is not even
able to place inspectors in all establish
ments desiring them. The present law
prohibits the shipment of uninspected
meat to foreign countries, but there is no
provision f%orbidding the shipment of un,
inspected meats in interstate commerce
and thus the avenues of interstate com,
MERGE are left open to traffic in diseased
or spoiled meats.
If, as has been alleged IN seemingly
good authority. further evils exist. suct
us the improper use of chemicals ant
dyes, the government lacks power to rem
edy them. A law is needed which will
enable the inspectors of the general gov
m to inspect and supervise from
the hoof to the can the preparation of the
meat food product. d
The evil seems to be much less in tbs
sale of dressed carcasses than in the SALE
of canned and other prepared product:
and very much less as regards product:
sent abroad than as regards those used al
home.
In my judgment. the expense of the
inspection Should be paid by a fee Levied
No Scars from Wounds.
Severa. hospitals of London England
4 F HE - IN Npa n