Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-23
As BAD AS IN CHICAGO
Filth and Insanitary Surroundings
Like Those in Packingtown.
THE HEALTH OFFICER NOTIFIED
Result of Investigations Made by Of
ficials Of the Agricultural
Department.

1t is quite possible that the House
of Representatives will call upon
the Secretary of Agriculture for all
information in his possession con-
corning conditions in the local mar
kets. 1t would be quite within the
province of the House to do this,
as Congress makes appropriation
each year, in the District of Column
bia appropriation bill, for the main
tenance of the. various markets in
the city.
Mr. Hays Disclosures.
When Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
Hays was before the House committee on
agriculture some days ago he took OCCASION
following the formal hearing on depart
mental details, to tell the committee MEM
bers some plain truths about Washington
markets. Those members were amazed.
and of them said today that he was
confident, from what Mr.. Hays had said,
that the conditions in the markets were
proof that the District officials were dere
uct in their duty.
OF course such local conditions as Mr..
Hays mentioned greatly interested MEM
bers of Congress. and some of them are
really more stirred up just now than they
were when the expose of Packingtown
methods was made Unless some active
measures are at once taken by the proper
District authorities il Is certain that Con-
gress will take hand In the matter. call
for all the facts in the possession of the
Agricultural Department, and perhaps even
make an investigation on it's own account.
Last Summers Investigation.
The investigation of local market condi-
lions was begun last summer. Assistant
Secretary Hays of the Department of Ag-
riculture. in company with Mr.. George Nc
Cowan of the local branch Of the bureau of
animal industry. made round of the
slaughter houses of the District that receive
FEDERAL inspection. Some of the conditions
found there were not at all satisfactory
though when the local abattoirs found that
they would have to clean up they cleaned
accordingly. Not all of them were in dis
gusting condition, but some OF them were
decidedly bad.
Then as a sort of side hne. the assistant
secretary and the superintendent Of the
bureau of animal industry continued their
Investigation into'a lot OF the little slaueh-
ter houses that do strictly local business
and as they do not ship out Of the District
do not require federal inspection. The state
or some of these places was shocking. II
was so bad that although the Department
or Agriculture had no control over it, As
sistant Secretary Hays was impelled to
write to the local health authorities calling
their attention to it.
1t is understood that this letter recon-
mended the erection of a municipal abattoir
where the local men who killed sheep
calves and the like for their own use would
be able to have the work done decently
and under sanitary conditions.
Disgusting Revelations.
From the local slaughter houses it was
anil a. l.
inspectors were about it they rounded up
these institutions also. Some of the reve-
latiOns are described as very bad. Some OF
the markets prescribe shade Of paint for
the stalls and woodwork of a dark OAK
color. good healthy shade that will not
show dirt.
In other markets there were no painting
regulations discoverable. But there was
paint In some cases. One of the meat
dealers had stall where there was a
chopping. block tolerably well scraped on
top, but the exterior as well as the sides
of the stall were unspeakaby filthy. He
was asked to scrape off the side of his
chopping block to see how deep the dirt
was. and after digging into it with wire
brush FOR some time came to stratum
OF light gray paint. He looked at it and
exclaimed in surprise: Ply, Jimminy, ii
was painted once alretty."
This was the situation in a good many
places The tops of the stands and blocks
might be reasonably clean, but the sides
and backs We're as a rule filthy.
Bad as In Chicago.
Some of the places where the meat was
handled were quite as bad as anything told
of Chicago There were places with no
lavatories and with no toilet conveniences
except the floor which was cheerfully and
freely used. There was one place where
the chickens sold were picked in an out
house closet and there we're other places
some OF which might have been washed
within d fortnight and some that showed
no signs OF ever having been washed at
all.
One OF the worst features of most of the
public sales places was the board at the
back of the stall where the meats were
hung. The board in nearly every case was
crusted thick with dirt, and the hooks from
which the meat was hung showed NO signs
or ever having been cleaned. 1t was said
that In one place the hanging board was
crusted an inch deep in filth.
Health Officer Notified.
Mr. Hays even visited some of the smaller
groceries and combination meat and pro-
vision stores and the general regard for
Cleanliness seemed to run into minus guam
titles He consequently sent a letter to the
health office making some comments on the
local conditions and containing a few sus-
Eestions as TO what was needed to bring
the establishments up to something like
sanitary standard The first and cbJef
of these recommendations was plain soan
and hot water. There were many of the
His that could be cured Wilt scrubbine
brush better than In any other way.
In the matter of paint II was RECON-
mended that nothing but white paint
should be allowed in the market The pian
now seems to be to select a color of paint
that will not show dirt. but IL was s,,s,-
gested that the health Office compel the use
OF a paint that will show dirt, and white
paint Seems to fill the bill better than any
thing else . '
About the stalls and stands, ii was sup-
gested that the present form of stall
reaching almost to the ground and making
catch-all for dirt and filth should he
prohibited, and that tables should be used
In all cases. so that they would have TO
be kept clean. both in front and behind, as
well as on top. As to the hanging of
boards where the meat was displayed, 1t
was recommended, first, that they be
cleaned and second. that they be kept
cleaned
A Correspondents Criticism.
The Troy Times yesterday published a
dispatch from Its Washington correspon-
dent. who. by the way; Is a personal friend
Of Chairman wadsworth OF the House agIi-
culture committee. commenting on the al
teged sensational discoveries made by the
federal commission which looked into sand