Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-07-13
EXPERTS DECLARE
MEAT WHOLESOME
PACKERS ExoNERATED BY COM
MITTEE WHICH INVESTIGATES
CHICAGO STOCK YARDS.
CHARGES NOT SUSTAINED
ACCORDING TO REPORT
Products Are Fit Food, They Assert,
and Allegations of Improper Han
ding Not Borne Out by Facts
Sanitary Recommendations Made.

Chicago, July 9.-As a result of the
investigation by business men and ex-
perts the meat products of the we'll
known firms at the stock yards are
declared to be wholesome and proper
food.
The report made by the joint COM
m1ttee of the Illinois Manufacturers
association and of the Chicago Com
mereial association was made after Il
plants had been thoroughly inspected.
In the findings particular plants are
not mentioned
The experts who assisted the COM
mittee in the work of inspection were:
DR.. w. A. Evans, professor of path
ology in the medical department of
the University Of Illinois; DR.. Maxi.
milan Herzog, late pathologist, bu.
reau Of science, Manila, p. L.; DR.. M
P. Ravenel. professor Phipps institute,
Philadelphia; A. T. Peters, professor
of veterinary medicine, University of
Nebraska, and M. H. Reynolds, pro-
lessor of veterinary medicine, Uni
versity of Minnesota.
In the investigation daily visits to
the yards were made for period of
two weeks, each visit occupying from
ten to fifteen hours.
Thorough Inspection Made.
The committee inspected plants,
products, books, records and formu-
laries. Superintendent, foremen, in
spectors, workmen, buyers and sellers
were questioned
Among the principal conclusions OF
the committee are these:
The dressed meat is wholesome and
proper for human food.
The canned meat is also healthful
and in varying degrees nutritious, and
the canning departments are, in gen
eral, in a clean condition. The same
finding is made with reference to the
cured meat department and their prod
ucts
Further inquiry into the use Of meat
preservatives is recommended.
Certain sections Of most of the
plants were found to be modern, yet
In each there were defects. Rebuild
ing is going on rapidly and improve.
ments are being installed.
Federal laws governing the con.
domination Of tuberculous cattle are
sufficiently rigid. The government
rules as to tuberculous hogs should
be "ameliorated in some respects"
The yards, meaning the pens, gang
ways, ETC., were found to be clean,
NJ -
hoof adequate. 4
Animals reaching the yards dead dc
not go into the slaughtering houses.
Carcasses Not on Floor.
The committee suggests that lower
grade cattle be made the subject OF
closer observation and classification.
In respect to dressed meats the car
cass Of sheep, calf and hog never
touches the floor, nor does beef after
the hide is removed.
In six varieties of sausages the COM
mittee found evidence of borax OF
boracic acid. The experts leave 1t to
the consumer to settle the question Of
eating uncooked sausages, the federal
inspection not covering trichinosis.
Lard and lard compounds were
found to be wholesome
The committee suspects that tuber-
culosis Is prevalent among the stock
yards employees, as the Twenty-ninth
ward, in which the big plants are sit
uated, Is seventh among the city wards
In the death rate from tuberculosis.
No operatives, however, were noticed
who looked tubercular
Regarding Sanitary Conditions.
Touching sanitary conditions the ex-
perts made recommendations, which,
in brief, are as follows:
Abolition Of old sections Of all
plants, obedience of bosses to anti
splitting rule, more and modern toilet.
rooms, impervious materials for kill
ing floors, better light and ventilation
for cutting and trimming rooms, in
stallation Of fly screens, workmen's
clothing should be cleaned daily.
workmen should be required to wash
their hands, hospital for sick animals
advised.
AS to methods in vogue, improve
ments urged were in brief as follows:
Supervision on all materials used
Tor canned food, clearly methods in
handling picked meats, scientific tests
for canned goods. reform in methods
OF using unnutritiye meat correct and
explicit labels on cans, cleaner meth
ODDS OF handling sausage meats.
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Russian Sailors Mutiny.