The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-06-14
In Response To Request From the
Committee On Agriculture
Of the House.
NO CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO
Immediate and Unusual Changes TAX
ing Place For the Better in the
Chicago Packing Houses.
The Document Consicts Of t43 Closely.
Written Typewriter Pages, and
Deals With Eight Subjects
Very Fully

TO request from the mousse commit
tee on agriculture, President Roosevelt
forwarded to Representative Wads.
worth the chairman of that commit.
tee, the report made to him by COM
mittee from the department of agri-
culture regarding conditions in the
Chicago packing houses.
Accompanying the report was let
ter from the president, in which he
points out that there is no conflict in
substance between the Neill.Reynold's
report and that of the agriculture de.
partment experts.
The president says his investiga-
tions have not been completed, but
that enough has been developed, in
my judgment, for immediate. thor
oughgoing and radical enlargement
of the powers of the government in
Inspecting all meats which enter into
interstate and foreign commerce"
Following is the text of the letter of
the president to Chairman Wadsworth:
Presidents Letter.
''The White House. Washington, D; c.,
June 5. 1906
'My Dear MIR. wadsworth
In accordance with your request |
send you herewith the two reports OF in
spection by the committee appointed by
the department of agriculture OF April 9Th
and 18th. This committee had already
been appointed when | notified the secre-
tary that | desired that such "A commit
tee should be appointed in order to make
the investigation.
subsequent complaints to me and the
consideration of complaints already made
showed that the charges were not only
against the packing houses, but also, to
q certain extent, reflected upon the action
of the government inspectors, and | came
60 the conclusion that IL was best to have
an investigation by outside individuals
who could not be charged with being In
any way interested In the matter. Ac-
cordingly, before the completion of the
Investigation by the department OF agri-
culture. directed Mr.. NELL and Mr., Rey-
report OF which has been laid before con-
gress.
binary change for the better which the
mere fact of their investigation is al
ready bringing about in the condition OF
the packing houses in Chicago Il is only
necessary to instance the following por-
tions Of a letter received from most
competent and trustworthy witness In
Chicago whose name will give the COM
mittee II II so desires:
Chicago. Friday. June /.
" on Monday | began tour OF all the
great packing houses-soing first to Lib
-" Tuesday. an the morning discussed
changes that ought to be made and
caught a glimpse Of the awakening 1T
Armour's. In the afternoon visited the
plant with the superintendent.
Wednesday ! rested and contemplated
the awakening Of Packingtown. II Is
miraculous Thursday did Nelson Morris
with the superintendent Nelson Morris
has done much to make things better
by the time the next inspection party ar
rives they Will have still more new lava
tories, toilet rooms, dressing rooms, etc.
There will be cuspidors everywhere, |
and signs prohibiting splitting In most
from without There was the slightest |
Indication that the 'st.ll small voice was |
NJ work also. |
AZ Armour's at my suggestion, | |
made no pretense Of making an investI- |
CATION, but frankly announced my desire |
TO see things sor myself and to get a |
not seen the plants since before the |
strike. On every hand there was lndica-
ton OF an almost humorous haste to
el an up repave and even to plan for
future changes. Brand new toilet rooms.
new dressing rooms. new towels. etc, etc.
" 'Switt's and ArmOur's were both so
them on their way by expressing my
pleasure at the changes The sausage
could get sun and light They, too, have
1rssslng rooms, etc.
IT asked for showers and lockers for
the casing workers at Armours and got
a promise that they would put them in.
The canning and stuting room, chip beef
and beef extract room at Armours seem
~ ir'iI3 pulte soou' III al ol these
"'At Llbby's the girls are to be put
INTO blue calico uniform, which they
IN toilet rooms, which they say are tenn
fDrary, and that when the building is
remodelcd they Will have these put In
better place. The haste towards reform
would have been amusing, IL II were not
80 nearly tragic.
They, tried to win my help on the
q ound that loss Of foreign trade would
mean hardship for the workers In my
ne nelghborhood and ! must say / do share
this fear but | can not see the, wisdom |
that ! saw Indications OF an awakening |
for | want tho changes TO be radical
and permanent, although we all have 10 ,
sufer for the present.
who are responsible for the abuses we
design To cure viii bring discredlt and
damage not only Upon them, but on the
innocent stock growers the ranchmen
and the farmers Of the country. The ,
only way permanently to protect and
FARMERS and ranchmen Is to secure by (
law the thorough and adequate inspec- ,
ton for which | have asked. Sincerely
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. James w Wadsworth. chairman |
rommittee on agriculture house Of rep
Long Report Submitted.
The report consists of l43 typewrit-
ten pages. The committee began its
work at Chicago March ~, last, and I
continued the work until March 22 !
All abattoirs In Chiacgo having gov.
srnment inspection and two others '
we're inspected Tho report deals with
eight subjects:
The ante-mortem meat inspection
service, the federal post-mortem. in
Guiding microscopic inspection: the
meat inspection service maintained at
Chicago; the meat inspection service
maintained by the city of Chicago; the
government supervision of canned
products; the sanitary conditions OF
each establishment; the legal phase
of the question, and the conclusions
aud recommendation OF the com
mittee.
"'rhe drainage is good" the report
says, "and the pens are kept as clean
Two Deaths In Wreck