Gilpin observer., 1906-06-07
WANTS new Law
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE ON PACK.
ING HOUSE ABUSES.
PRESENTS SPECIAL REPORT
Says Conditions In Chicago Stock
Yards Are Revolting-Urgent Need
OF Immediate Action by Congress


Senate and House of Representatives:
Il transmit herewith the report Of
Mr.. James Bronson Reynolds and Com
missioner Charles P. Neill, the special
committee whom l appointed to inves-
tigate the conditions in the stock yards
Of Chicago and report thereon to me.
This report Is of a preliminary nature.
Il submit it to you now because 1t
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 revolving. 1t is imper-
atively necessary, in the interest of de-
cency, that they should be radically
changed.
Under the existing law it is wholly
impossible to secure satisfactory re-
suits.
When my attention was first d.
rected to this matter an investigation
was made under the Bureau of Animal
Industry of the Department Of Agricul-
ture. When the preliminary state
ments Of this investigation were
brought to my attention they showed
such defect in the law and such wholly
unexpected conditions that deemed 1t
best to have a 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
oh |, I,,,t hA Dr.
reau 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 / 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. II inspection of meat food
products at all stages of preparation
is not secured by the passage of legis-
lation recommended, / shall feel com
PEELED to order that inspection labels
and certificates on canned products
shall not be used hereafter.
"rhe report shows that the stock
yards and packing houses are not kept
even reasonably clean and that the
method OF handling and preparing food
products is uncleanly and dangerous
to health. Under existing law the ma
tional government has no power to en-
force inspection of the many forms OF
prepared meat food products that are
daily going from the packing houses
into interstate commerce. Owing to
an inadequate appropriation the De-
partment of Agriculture is not even
sble 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 forbidding the shipment
of uninspected meats in interstate
commerce, and thus the avenues of in
terstate commerce are left open to traf-
fic in diseased or spoiled meats. II, as
has been alleged on seemingly good au-
thority, 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 en-
able the inspectors of the general gov
ernment to inspect and supervise from
the hoof to the can the preparation OF
the meat food products. The evil
seems to be much less In the sale OF
dressed carcasses than in the sale of
canned and other prepared products,
and very much less as regards prod
ucts sent abroad than as regards those
used at home.
"In my judgment the expenses OF
the inspection should be paid by fee
levied on each animal slaughtered. II
this is not done, the whole purpose OF
the law can at any time be defeated
through an insufficient appropriation
interest in the subject 1t would not
only be easy but natural to make the
appropriation insufficient. II it were
not for this consideration, should ia
vor the government paying for the in
spection.
81 call special attention to the fact
that this report is preliminary. and
that the investigation is still unfin-
ished. 1t is not yet possible to report
on the alleged abuses in the use OF del
eterious chemical compounds In con-
nection with canning and preserving
meat products, nor on the alleged doc
toring in this fashion of tainted meat
and of products returned to the pack
ers as having grown unstable or un-
stable from age or from other reasons.
Grave allegations are made in refer
ence to abuses Of this nature.
Let me repeat that under the pres
ent law there practically is no method
Of stopping these abuses II they should
be discovered to exist. Legislation is
needed in order to prevent the possi-
bility of all abuses in the future. II
no legislation is passed, then the ex-
cellent results accomplished by the
work of this special committee will
only endure so long as the memory Of
the committees work is fresh, and
Of the abuses is abso-
lutely certain.
II urge the immediate enactment
into law of provisions which will en-
able the Department Of Agriculture
adequately to inspect the meat and
meat products entering into interstate