Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-06

home. In my judgment the expense of the inspection should be paid by fee levied on each animal slaughtered. II this is not done the whole purpose oi the law can at any time be defeated through an insufficient appropriation and whenever there was no particular public interest in the subject 1t would be not only easy''but nsturakthus to make the appropriation insufficient. If fl were not for this considerationsI should favor the government paying for the in- spection.
 The alarm expressed in certain quar- ters concerning this feature should be allayed by a realization of the fact that in no case, under such. a ,laV. will the cost of inspection exceed 8 cents per head.
 call special attention to the fact that this report is preliminary and that the investigation is still unfinished. It is not yet possible to report on the al- legged abuses fin the use of deleterious chemical compounds in connection with canning and preserving meat products nor on the alleged factoring in this fashion of tainted meat and of prod ucts returned to the packers as having grown unstable or unusable from age or from other reasons. Grave allega- tions are made in reference to abuses of this nature.
 Let me repeat,that under the present law there is practically no method of stopping these abuses if theyshould be discovered to exist. Legislation is needed in order to prevent the possibil- ity of all abusesin the future. If no leg lslation is passed, then the excellent re- suits accomplished by the work of this special committee will endure only so long~as the memory of the committss's work is fresh, and recrudescence of the abuses is absolutely certain. urge the immediate enactment into law of provisions which will enable the department of agriculture adequately to inspect the meat and meat food products entering into interstate com merce and to supervise the methods of preparing the same and to prescribe the sanitary conditions under which tue worK snail De performed. l rnere- fore commend to your favorable con- sideration and urge the enactment of substantially the provisions known as senate amendment No. % to the act making appropriations for the depart ment of agriculture for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1907, as passed by the senate, this amendment being common ly known as the Beveridge amendment
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
 The White House, June 4, 1906.
 The President:
 As directed by you, we investigated the conditions in the principal estab- lishmepts of Chicago engaged in the slaughter of cattle, sheep and hogs and In the preparation of dressed meat and meat food products. Two and half weeks were spent in the investigation in Chicago. and during this time we went through the principal packing houses In the stockyards district, to- gether with few of the smaller ones. A day was spent by Mir. Reynolds in New York city in the investigation of several of its leading slaughter houses. During our investigation statements of conditions and practices in the packing houses. together with afidayis and documentary evidence. were. S8sred JUS from numerous sources. Most of these were rejected as being far from prov ing the facts alleged and as being be- yond the possibility of yerif1cation by us. We have made no statement as a fact in the report here presented that was not verified by our personal ex- animation. Certain matters which we were unable to verify while In Chicago are still under investigation. The fol lowing is therefore submitted as . partial report touching upon those prac- tices and conditions which we found most common and not confined to a single house or class of houses. A more detailed report would contain many specific instances of defects found in particular houses.
 I.-Conaftion of the Yards.
 Before entering the buildings we not ed the condition of the yards them selves as shown in the pavements, pens, viaducts and platforms. The pavement is mostly of brick, the bricks laid with deep grooves between them, which in- evitably All with manure and refuse. Such pavement cannot be properly cleaned and Is slimy and malodorous when wet, yielding clouds of i'll smell- ing dust when dry. The pens are gen erally uncovered, except those for sheep. These latter are paved and covered. The viaducts and platforms are of wood. Calves, sheep and hogs that have died en route are thrown out up- on the platforms where cars arc un- loaded. On a single platform on one occasion we counted fifteen dead hogs. on the next ten dead hogs. The only excuse given for delay in removal was that SO often heard-the expense.
 u-DuiIdinss.
 Material-The interior finish of most of the buildings Is of wood: the parti- ton walls. supports and rafters are of wood. uncovered by plaster or cement The flooring in some instances Is of brick or cement but usually of wood. In many of the rooms where water Is used freely the floors are soaked and slimy.
 Lightfng-The buildings have been rvffh llffle rpuar.l fo eifl,er