Show BEEF PACKERS GET A HEARIN House Committee Not Inclined to Follow President R Roose Roosevelt ose velt Blindly COMMITTEE VISITS YARDS PUBLIC INVITED TO MAKE AN INSPECTION k Washington June house boutie commit committee tee tAte on agriculture today decided to comply with ith the request of the Chicago p packers to be heard O Olda regarding conditions In the Chicago pack i Irig houses The request was made b bThomas by Thomas Wilson who said he was as an em of the Morris company ny but butIn butIn In this Instance was authorized to speak spek for aU all the Chicago packers Before Befort hearing hering Mr Wilson the committee ted fled the department of agriculture sad Mr lr Nelli Secretary Wilson Dr A D of the depart nt and Mr Neill at once came caine to the capitol and the h hear r lug jog bean n shortly before noon Mr WilSn ilson made a general denial of the existence of conditions in the packing packinghouse house as set forth In the report He began by inviting the tee to come to Chicago and spend a week In personal investigation ot of conditions That he s said 1 would be the only way for or Members to gain a proper idea or of what the conditions re realty Uy were Some suggestions lions made in the report he said had al already already ready been complied With b by the packers such as additional sanitary facilities One Charge Absolutely Denied As to the charge that canned meats were boiled belied in water to freshen them up I Mr Wilson WilBOn said th re was absolutely no i truth in this Canned meat he said was wasas as good five years after it had bad been put t up as it was five minutes afterward pro providing viding no air aJr had got to it If air had I the m meat t it would be spoiled be bc I yond being freshened up What the cans were put in hot water for was to soak off I Ithe Ithe the old which he said was an in injury JUI jury to the appearance of the goods on sale He denied Ii absolutely that there WM wan an any i butchered or food diseased cattle or hogs bogs I IFor For in ef every rv carload of cattle or liege h he i aid seme were were likely to be dead and some diseased The dead or diseased hogs and cattle were ere sent nt to the Standard Render Rendering Rendering ing company h was a ver very different institution from the Standard Slaughter Slaughtering ins ing company although the two to were like Jike likely ly to be In the mind The Th roe rn dering company turned th the dead and dt die eased meat into grea grease which was a co product In th of soap Some Questions Answered Mr Wilson ilson d in detail the OP OPeration oration of preparing canned meats and ancl when hen asked by bv Representative tive Scott of Kansas a member of the comm committee Uee how about the rope and other found with the scraps on the floor XI Mr Wilson e explained that what hat was probably seen en In this Instance was the tle string on the knuckle what had been dried beef beff Th This string as with which to hang the tRe beef in the smoke smokehOuse smokehouse hOuse and when the beef was as sl sliced this knuckle end was left There was a 8 abone i bone in it and lie e said it was impossible to USO it Th The bone smash the ma chine If an attempt was u I do not believe Mr r Neill got any state stale statement moot ment from any n one that they were pre going goin If hf he did it WR wan to chop these theS pi up from froni some one who did not knoW or he did not get et tM the whole st t Representative Haskins asked about the drY floors These ese fl floors rs r replied Mr Wilson are scrubbed every n night bt AS clean elean M as wood can he scrubbed They Tiley are RS as clean as any kitchen No Objection to Experts Taking up tM the recommendations of and an Reynolds looking to the Improvement of conditions Mr Wilson said the packers did not object to govern overn mont ment r gulati of sanitary conditions but they did object to the secretary of I agriculture made the judge of what Sic is sanitary Why he might call l in outside tal talent t which was J Inexperienced as AI to packing h uses and the bUsiness of slaughtering just as b has s bee done recently contin continued nod Mr Wilson Vilon CertAinly we should object to that There are e experts on the question of sanitAtion and we Il have ve no objection to Ut the closest scrutiny from t these Supervision of very every branch of the pack packIng in Ing was not ob objected ted to b by the packers 5 id Mr Wilson The government as many Inspectors as it do de desire IDa may put on sires sire IO en long as 15 the packers do not have bayt to for them He said the packing n k pay would be b by th the in inspection of the different nt br branches from the lIte hoof to the cann can Good Gond inspection Is what the packers want he declared Would Injure the Business In addition to the QI question tion of who shan shall be the judge or of sanitation Mr Wilson said Mid that the only othe suggestion made Imide by the report to whIch h the would have baye an any ob objection Uon is the requirement that the date of canning ie be placed on an alt canned artiCles artiries He said that would serve rP i 1 pu purpose except to injure the canned meat business Naturally So a buyer will choose too the ar Ude with the freshest St appearing label saM said Mr Wilson when ben as a matter or of fact the cann canned l meat does not deteriorate with age In speaking of the return of goods he hesaki saki that con are sometimes sent back to the shippers because e II a nail had been driven through a can in fastening a boX ho This he said would cause that up can ean to spoil aru and the consignee would im axi spine that tM the whole shipment had spoiled Then it is in rare instances Instance for air to hAve gotten otten into the can and AM ca caused It to swell He described such but said there is no cant cans as dan danger r of these e ever eer being eaten and ad dod w with tb a laugh not the slightest No Noone why one him bim Would It be possible to 10 put in cans meat which has bas begun boun to petrify asked Chairman V orth Not unless tM the meat were accompanied chemicalS such as it would be led by suicide c y to eat Mr WIlson He declared that the use of bad meat has baa never been attempted by PAck era ens And that t it would be suicide to their business Prepared Statement Read Mr Wilson on read a prepared statement to the committee in which he said That tM the liv lire stock and packing indus t tries have suffered an Irreparable injury by the unjust and unwarranted criticisms 1 of the put past w week k I am sure It is ig eary ary for me to tell teU you gentlemen who are alf In such close touch with the syri agri agricultural cultural Interests Interest of the country Had the original motive been simply imp the oh ob obtaining taming of to improve the In and sanitary conditions then I Isay Issy say the criticisms have been doubly un unjust just juat and unfair for In tHe very ery Inception oC eC too the Investigation the commission and their superiors were ere given ven the a of the packetS packers cooperation and their per personal guarantee u rAntee was giveR given that an any practical deal recommendations be wel eI eo coated ted and ADd adopted We are now and Continued on Page 2 JL i 4 r i II l if BEEF P PACKERS I GET A HEARING i from I have hae ays been In favor or of the eaten ZIon sion of inspection also of the adoption or of sanitary regulations that will Insure the very beet t po possible conditions and In this Cl t your attention to the recommend M Nell and Reynolds paragraph vii Yb of f their report all of which except in some ome minor details has the be hearty ap pr val and support of the pa kers we are opposed what we appeal to you OU gentlemen for protection against is 18 isa a DIn bill that will put our business in the hands or of theorists chemists sociologists etc and the management and control taken away from rom the men who have bave de devoted devoted voted their lives JIves to the and perfecting or of this great American Indus tr try My dental denials or of and s report in detail would or of course simply be my opinions against theirs not my twenty years experience in the business Congressmen Are Tough There Is no question n but that the many necessary ry operations attending the slaughtering or of animals the sight of blood and aDd other offal re resulting would have a avery avery very shocking effect on time the nerves and senses of two men with the nece necessary ary fine sen that such men as Me ers Neil eill and Reynolds must have who have hav devoted their lives to one Un lImi of scientific or sociological cal work but men such as this committee Is made up with broad and more sener general l experiences wilt will Imme imm Immediately appreciate how bow the conditions re reported ported have been exaggerated and that the greatest effort Is made at aU all times to han ban die dle the product in a clean and sanitary manner We appreciate that Jle ars Neil Neill and Reynolds especially equip theta them o 0 recommend improvement ment mentin in social conditions and many of the i suggestions made by them werd found to be practical and have already dready been adopted but we also feel that their two and a half weeks experience in the pack Ing houses does not equip them sufficiently to justify your honorable body In undertaking to 10 legislate intelligently on their observations alone alon For this reason he wanted the commit committee tee to mak a personal inspection When the bearing was resumed D J Mclvin chil o of the bureau of animAl industry was ask asked a number or of qu que cJ HODS of cattle bought b by packing house lIe He explained that these examinations were all conducted In the He 1 was It if he be believed any dl meat wes 1 put on th in any form but he not express Hn an opinIon He explained 11 in detail the disposition of dis diseased diseased eased through h the stock but said tie no Suh Sueh ns were n con concerning other r animals As to Dead Hogs I Mr Wilson again took up the Neil report commenting g on many ot of the Concerning t the CUR cue of the um a peni lie he sl that th fI floors were properly drained to tc permit of as otten AS f fI I I l f assorted Ut w wu iou on The rte X report of t ten n I hogs heiR being found in one place and fifteen to twenty in another aROther Mr Wilson said some seine mornings from M 06 to hogs bogs are received and that frequently d dead d ones are found fouRd in the ears cars He did not I think there was anything revolting about that In regard to t the interior of the work workrooms rooms Mr Wilson said id that any person would b he plea pleased with their cleanly ap appearance before the day days killing kUUng and I dressing is begun un and HI that persons not used to packing houses might bo be die eted with tm the condition of the same rooms several hours later Washed Every Day He c contended however that there were no unwholesome conditions there avery I day da he saW said alt all rooms bt tables tracks and other utensils of all kinds kiDd are arc washed as clean as water and scrub brush can make ke them Chairman rend reAd piecemeal what may be termed the startling fe fee tures of the report and AS he pronounced each indictment paused for tor answers Mr 11 Wilson did not to deny thai thal odors odor arose front from the entrails and oft off th car ceases but he be said saki they were removed as aa promptly a an pos possible He said he did not think that even Dr Neill would SU sug gent perfuming this thi material lie He scouted the charge that there was any allY odor from wood or decayed meat as there was fis none ff C f either In the operating rooms to give ve rise to any smell The Toilet Rooms Room The char charge e that there were ere ton toilet t rooms off the work roo rooms tl was admitted and nd the practice defended as not bein being more mere than a toilet off a bedroom In a first cla class 8 hotel as aM the toilets were kept in good condition Suitable places place w were e furnished work workmen men lIten to wash he said saki and as asserted that the men all aJl carried bunches of chee cheese cheesecloth e cloth which were used as towels The rhe Themen men this said Mr Wilson littOn to Inspection Repeating his Instruction to members of the commission to visit the packing packinghouses houses house Mr Wilson said Hid that the houses mire fire always open and that millions of pee peo pas through every year If we should visit the would there be any changes maae before we arrIved asked Mr dr Wadsworth We e always take advantage of good suggestions Iu Ce tion An mimi Neil NeJU and Reynolds know this thi Mr Vil ott He thought tM the charges Kr es however would not prevent the commission from getting at the tact facts Nelli Neill Refused to Answer Mr Wilson questioned a char charge in ift the report that a carca carcass 0 of ofa K a hog had lipped from a carrier into at a and had been picked up at and placed with clean carcasses He called upon Dr Neil Neill to state that it did not happen In one of the big pAcking It did happen in one or of the big con concerns erns cerns Dr Neil Nelli replied emphatically h r requested by members of the theto to state which one Dr Nelli But some of the very r things SS that Mr Wilson had Jut just now denied he be happened at Nelson MorrIs Co Ce s place The New York Model Mr Wilson lIson took up the comparison the mode N News w York peeking packing house which wa was made in the report And said ask that Ute the house bOUtte was nea and built under th the strict building and aM sanitary regulations or of the elt city The new newhouse ho house of hI hia firm In Kan Kansas City would week compare favorably with the New York house There Then Ver al also just as good and S sans l tar lary houses in Chicago and all the newer buildings were wert Asked d about Dout th the statement that em m relieved t themselves l on the 11 fleet or orr Mr r Wilson wes was Inclined to question title entirely If it was seen n it must have havo been In one of the smaller houses Mr Reynolds or Dr Nell Neill would have havet t to around a long time to see ee any AnT of that kind in a large e peeking house he said saki Sand and any man doing it would woal be Instantly discharged Reading about the man with a dirty apron and dirty clothes who ho had no DO mesas or of cleaning his hands bands except to wipe them on his hie dirty clothes and that t there ere w was s no water In Ute the room he said It would be impossible for An apron to look clean aftEr being worn for Op min mm atm TN The only d dyes fIfi u used were tb those tu to color r the casl casings s of the sausage and not tel fk meats meat Character of As As to the character of the employee Mr denied that th they y wore were the refuse or of humanity or that the recent strike had hade made e ny DY chan change e per ct cent nt of thee employed sino that strike Were vm miles men menH H He denied that girls were compelled to i stand while working saying there wt were re places for theta to sit alt down but I some of them preferred to stand most of the time Ume that their might their work more ore handily Rooms were pro provided vided I in which the Ule employee might eat 1 ad all aJl o of the tit bl k r furnish furnished d cot cof cotee tee ee their empt yes d at one cent cant a cup t r t think ak he said that the people em emd d In the stock yards are mere e then en e a be cIa eIa There art are few ew of tuberculosis perhaps some who do not know knoo It Representative Scott asked if Mr WIl WI SOft ft bed 4 eV ever r Investigated packing houses abroad He bad In England but he said American methods were superior Have you had any difficulty prIor to this agitation with your foreign mar markets hots asked Mr Scott We are having It a great deal ot of trouble now replied the witness Asked again about times prior to the Ule present agitation he mentioned that some trouble was WIlS had bad with Germany German but he did not regard this based baited on the tho quality or |