The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-05
CONDITIONS BAD.
President Transmits to Con-
gress Report Of lnspec-
tion Into Stock
Yards.
Calls FOR DRASTIC ACTION
rs IMPERITIVELK NECESSARY
THAT RADICAL CHANGES
BE MADE.

BE MADE.
Conditions in Chicago Even by a Short
Inspection Declared to be Revolving
Stock Yards and Packing Houses Not
Allegations Regarding the Use Of
Tainted Meats - Immediate Action
Recommended to Correct the Abuses
Government at Present without
Power.
Washington, June 4.-The president
to-day transmitted to both houses Of
congress the preliminary report Of ]. B.
Reynolds and Labor Commissioner c.
p. Neill on the conditions in the Chlca-
go stock yards and packing houses, &C
companied by the following message:
The Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
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 preliminary nature.
/ submit it to you now because it
shows the urgent need of immediate
action by the Congress in the direction
of providing a drastic and thorough
going inspection by the Federal govern
ment of all stock yards and packing
houses and of their products, so far as
the latter enter into interstate or for
eign commerce, The conditions shown
by even this short inspection to exist
in the Chicago stock yards are revolt
ing 1t is imperatively necessary in the
interest of health and of decency that
they should be radically changed TN
der the existing law it is wholly impos-
sible to secure satisfactory results.
When my attention was first directed
to this matter an investigation was
made under the Bureau of Animal In
dustry of the Department of Agricul-
ture. When the preliminary state
rnents Of this investigation were
brought to my attention they showed
such defects in the law and such who'll
ly unexpected conditions that deemed
it best to have further immediate in
vestigation by men not connected with
the bureau, and accordingly appointed
Messrs Reynolds and Neill. 1t was
impossible under the existing law that
satisfactory work should be done by
the Bureau of Animal Industry. | am
NOW, however examining the way in
which the work actually was done.
Before had received the report of
Messrs. Reynolds and Neill I had d.
rected that labels placed upon any
package of meat food products should
state only that the carcass of the ami
NAL from which the meat was taken
had 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 the legis-
lation recommended 1 shall feel COM
peeled to order that inspection labels
and certificates on canned products
shall not be used hereafter.
The report shows that the stock yards
and packing houses are not kept even
reasonably clean, and that the method
of handling and preparing food pro-
ducts is uncleanly and dangerous to
health. Under existing law the nation
al government has no power to enforce
inspection of the many forms Of pre-
pared meat food products that are DAT
ly going from the packing houses into
sr,Aa - TNxx-s, 70
adequate appropriation the Department
of Agriculture is not even able to place
inspectors in all establishments desir-
ing them. The present law prohibits
the shipment of uninspected meat in in
terstate commerce, and thus the ave-
nues of interstate commerce are left
open to traffic in diseased or spoiled
meats. If, as has been alleged on
seemingly good authority, further evils
exist, such as the improper use of
chemicals and dyes, the government
lacks power to remedy them. A law is
needed which will enable the inspectors
of the general government to inspect
and supervise from the hoof to the can
the preparation of the meat food pro-
duct The evil seems to be much less
in the sale of dressed carcasses than in
the sale of canned and other prepared
products.
In my judgment the expense of the
inspection should be paid by fee lev
led on each animal slaughtered. 1t this
is not done, the whole purpose Of the
law can at any time be defeated
through an insufficient appropriation;
and whenever there was no particular
public interest in the subject it would
he not only easy but natural thus to
make the appropriation insufficient. If
1t were not for this consideration
should favor the government paying for
it.
The alarm expressed in certain quar-
tiers concerning this feature should be
allayed by realization of the fact that
in no case, under such law, will the
cost of inspection exceed eight cents
per head.
I call special attention to the fact
that this report is preliminary and
that the investigation is still unfinished
1t is not yet possible to report on the
alleged abuses in the use of deleteriouS