The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-06-14
SECOND REPORT is
SENT TO CONGRESS
MAKE HASTE TO CLEANPAcKINe
HOUSES AT CHICAGO.
MANY IMPROVEMENTS MADE
extraordinary Change for the Better
Is Shown by Letter Sent TO Pres
dent from Investigator at
Stockyards.

Washington, June 9.-In response TO
q request from the house committee
on agriculture, President Roosevelt
Friday forwarded to Representative
Wadsworth, the chairman of that COM
mittee, the report made to him by
committee of the department of agri-
culture regarding conditions in the
Chicago meat packing houses. Ac-
companying the report was a letter
from the president, in which he points
out that there is no conflict in sub
stance between the Neill-Reynolds re-
port and that of the agricultural de-
partment experts.
Packers Cleaning UP.
The president quotes letter re-
ceiyed from a most competent and
trustworthy witness in Chicago, to the
effect that the packing house pro-
prietors are manifesting almost "a hui
morous haste to clean up, repave and
even to plan for future changes"
New toilet rooms are being provided,
with additional dressing rooms and
clean towels. The report says that
1.-THE haste towards reform would have
been amusing if it were not so nearly
>-agic."
The presidents correspondent says
his Investigations have not been COM
pleted, but that enough has been de-
veloped in my judgment to call for
Immediate, thorough-going and radical
enlargement of the powers of the gov
ment in inspecting all meats which
enter into interstate and foreign
commerce" ,.....
Text of Presidents Letter.
Following is the text of the letter
of the president to Chairman Wads-
worth: H...
my Dear Mr.. Wadsworth: In ac-
cordance with your request send
you herewith the two reports of in
spection by the committee appointed
by the department of agriculture of
April and 10. This committee had
already been appointed when / noti-
fed the secretary that desired that
such a commission should be appoint
ed in order to make the investigation.
Subsequent complaints to me and the
COu6luCIdllOu VI Complaints GA Cduy
made showed that the charges were
not only against the packing houses,
but also to certain extent reflected
upon the action of the government in
spectors, and / came to the conclu-
sion that it was best to have an in
vestigation by outside individuals who
could not be charged with being in
sr1fA fAI IN, hn
Accordingly, before the completion of
the investigation by the department
of agriculture l directed Mr.. Neill and
Mr.. Reynolds to make an investiga-
ton, the first report of which has been
laid before congress. Much testi-
mony has been offered to us which has
not been considered in this report, for
Messrs. Neill and Reynolds in this re-
port confine themselves to stating in
more or less summary way the facts
as to which they had been eye wit
nesses; and what they have said can
not be successfully controverted.
Some of the ground traversed by
Messrs. Neill and Reynolds is not
touched upon in the report of the
committee of the agricultural depart
ment. AS to the ground covered in
common by the reports of the two in
vestigating committees, there is no
conflict in substance as to the impor-
tant matters, although there is
marked difference in emphasis, this
being partially due to the greater
length and detail of the report of the
committee of the department of agri-
culture. In my Judgment the empha-
sis of the report of Messrs. Neill and
Reynolds is abundantly justified by
the facts.
ITO show the immediate and ex-
traordinary change for the better
which the mere fact of their investi-
cation is already bringing about In
the condition of the packing houses
in Chicago, it is only necessary to in
stance the following portions of let
ter received from most competent
and trustworthy witness in Chicago,
whose name l will give the committee
If 1t so desires:
Miraculous Changes Occur.
"'Chicago, Friday, June /
son Monday | began a tour of
all the great packing houses going
first to Libby's, then to Swift's.
Tuesday all the morning discussed
changes that ought to be made and
caught glimpse of the awakening at
Armour's. In the afternoon visited
the plant with the superintendent.
Wednesday rested and contem-
plated the awakening of Packing
town" 1t is miraculous. Thursday
did Nelson Morris, with the superin-
tendent. Nelson Morris has
done much to make things better. BY
the time the next inspecting party ar
rives they will have still more new
lavatories, toilet rooms, dressing
rooms, etc. Cuspidors everywhere,
and signs prohibiting splitting. In
most the awakening seemed to come
by force from without. There was the
slightest indication that the still
small voice" was at work also.
Humorous Haste Shown.
AT Armour's, at my suggestion
made no pretense OF making an in