The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-06-13
Horrors Brought to the Atten.
tion of Congress Last Week
BY THE PRESIDSN:'.
He Calls Attention to the Need of Addi.
tional Legislation to Enable the Ex.
ecutive Department to PIE.
vent the Distribution of
Poisonous Foods.

Poisonous Foods.
The following message from the
President to Congress explains Itself:
''The Senate and House OF R:prssen.
t2tiveS:
''I trans nit herewith the report OF
Mr.. James Bronson Reynolds snd
Commissioner Charles P. Neil, the
specia committee, whom I appointed
to Investigate into the conditions IN
the stock yards Of Chicago and rep )rt
thereon to me. Tais report is Of
preliminary nature. I submit it to
you now because it shows the urgent
need OF immediate action By the
Congress in the direction CT providing
a drastic and thoroughgoing inspec
ti1n by the Federal government Of all
stock yards and packing houses and Of
their products, 50 "a. as the latter
enter into interstate or foreign com
msrce. The conditions shown by
sven this short inspection to exist in
Chicago stock yards are revolting. It
is inperativsly necessary In the IN
terest OF health and Of decency that
they should bs radically changed
Under the existing law it IS wholly
impossible to secure satisfactory re-
suits.
"Wbe1 my attention was first di-
rected to this matter an Investigation
vas made under the bureau Of animal
industry Of the department. OF agrA
culture. Wnen the preliminary state
ments Of this Investigation were
brought to my attention they showed
such defects In the law and such
wholly unexpected conditions that I
deemed 1t best &c have a further I'M
mediate Investigation by men not con-
nected with the bureau, and accord
ingly appointed Messrs. Reynolds
aud Neill. l. Was Impossible under
the existing law that satisfactory
work should be doae by the bureau OF
animal industry. I am now, how
ever, examining the way in which the
work actually was done.
Before I had received the report
Of Msssrs. Reynolds and Nelll has
directed that labels placed upon any
package Of meat food products should
state only that the carcass Of the anil
NAL from which the meat was taken
aad been inspected at the time OF
slaughter. II inspection of meat food
products at all stages OF preparation
Is not secured by the passage Oh the
legislation recon- nended shall feel
compelled to order that inspection ls.
sels and certificates on canned pro
ducts shall not be used hereafter.
1.-The report Slows that the stock
yards and packing houses are not kept
reasonably clean, aud that the meth
I'D of handling and preparing food
products 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 products
that are daily going from the pack
ing houses into interstate commerce.
Owing to an inadequate appropria-
tion the department. Of agriculture is
cot even able to place inspectors ID
all tabl!shments desiring item. T1e
present Law prohibits the shipment OF
uninspected meat to fore'gn coun-
cries, but there is no provision forbid
ding the shipment Of uninspecteo
meats in interstate commerce, and
thus the avenues Of Interstate com
nerce are left open to traffic In dis
eased or spoiled meats. II, as has
oeen alleged on seemingly good au
thority further evils exist, such as
the improper use Of chemicals and
dyes, the government lacks power 10
remedy them. A law is needed Which
will enable the inspectors OF the gen
sral government to inspect and su-
pervise from the hoof to the can toe
preparation OF the meat food produc6
! The evil seems to be much less 10 tne
sale Of dressed carcasses than In the
sale OF canned and other prepared
products; and very much less as re-
CARDS products sent abroad than as
regards those used at home. "
In my judgment the expense Of
5he inspection should be paid by a
lee leviad on each animal slaughtered
II this is not done, the whole purpose
Of the law can at any tins bs de-
seated through an insufficient appfc'
oriaticr; and whenever there was nt
particular public interest 10 the suo
iact it would be not only easy bu'
natural thus to make the appropria
ton insufficient. it were not 1ol
this consideration I should favor thf
! Government paying tor the inspec
ton"
1.-The alarm expressed in c:rtaii
quarters concerning this feature
should be allayed by a realization d
the fact that in no case, under such
law, will the cost Of inspection e1
coed cents per head.
II cali special attention to the 1ac
that this report is preliminary, an(
thai the investigation is still unhn
lshed. 1t is not yet possible to repor
on the alleged abuses in tne use O.
deleterious chemical compounds II
connection With canning and preserV
mr. the alleged