Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-06-01
PACKERS YIELD
TO big STICK. I"
Roosevelt's Threat to Reveal Stockyards
Conditions Secures Inspec
ton Act.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 90
President Roosevelt notified the senate
late Friday that unless effective meat
inspection legislation were enacted with
out loss of time he would make an ex.
pose of the condition Of the packing
houses in Chicago. The effect was inn
mediate.
The Senate without dissenting voice
adopted the motion of Senator Beverage
attaching his bill for federal regulation
of the industry as an amendment to the
agricultural appropriation bill.
But One Alternative.
Such strong pressure is being applied
to the House that it is believed it will
instruct it's conferees on the conference
committee to accept the amendment.
determined fight being made by the Sen
ate to compel the House to yield, but
the President will give publicity to the
facts which are in his possession.
The Presidents notification was sent
to Senator Dubois of Idaho. MIR. Dubois
received an urgent telegram in the morn
ing from Fred j. hagenarth of Salt
Lake City, president of the National
Live Stock commission, protesting
against the publication of the report GER
tain to injure the stock and beef bust
ness. The message was forwarded to
the white house. The President made q
prompt response. He said be had no
desire to harm the industry but that the
stock interests must understand they
could not deter him from insisting upon
the passage of an adequate meat inspec-
ton law.
Beveridge Carries His Point.
Senator Beveridge labored Industrious
ly with his colleagues to induce them to
tl,n &c of ln 10
announced finally he would offer his bill
as an amendment to the agricultural APP
preparation bill. In the meantime
Messrs. Neill and Reynolds had con
ferred with Senators Cullom Carter and
Teller. and had described to them the
existence of shocking conditions at the
packing houses. One of these senators
said the description was nauseating.
The Presidents experts lunched with
Representative Madden of Chicago and
Mr.. Skinner, representing the Union
stockyards of Chicago. Mr.. Neill said
he had found revolving and disease con-
ditions in Chicago packing houses.
The floors were so filthy that the blood
and grease oozed through and fell upon
good meat which was to be canned.
Employees walked around in the dirt
in which they expectorated and gathered
I'D on their boots any bacilli of tuber-
afterwards walked upon the carcasses TO
be used in interstate commerce.
He told of the case Of a hog which had
slipped from the trolley and fallen into
a vile place. 1t was taken out, and with
out being cleaned was sent along and
cut up for food.
Some of Gruesome Charges.
He found decayed meat placed in the
same room with good meat intended for
canning, and he asserted that only one
of the five parts of a can was made up
of the former.
Potted hams appear to consist of pig
skin and other pieces of a hog not used
for legitimate purposes. This was col
ored and placed upon the market.
A brand of sausage was anything but
sausage.
The only meat that was good was beef
sold for roasts, steaks, etc.
The class of employees was not high,
and it was difficult to expect them to
know much about sanitation.
The conditions under which women
employees in the canning department
work were deplorable. They were com
PEELED to stand in water much of the
time and the temperature of the room
was low.
Mr. Neill went along this vein in his
talk with Representative Madden and
Mr.. Skinner, and later repeating the re-
port already published. said the same
things to Senators Cullom, Carter and
Teller.
Packers Yield by Telephone
Leaving the Presidents representative
Mr.. Madden and Mr.. Skinner called on
Senator Beveridge. The latter told them
plainly he intended to insist upon the
enactment of his bill, which he believed
the health of the American people de
manded.
Mr. Skinner agreed to communicate
with the packers by telephone and ascer-
tain if they would accept the Beveridge
bill. The first response Mr.. Skinner re
ceived was that the packers would offer
no opposition. Later in the afternoon
Mr.. Skinner received another telephone
message from the packers intimating
that they objected to that provision of
the bill which provided that the cost of
the inspection and examination should
be paid from fees to be collected by the
secretary of agriculture.
INV pORRFPC PAID TOWN