Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1906 — PACKERS GET CLEAN BILL. [ARTICLE]

PACKERS GET CLEAN BILL.

- . •- it Inveatlcatora Find Meat la Wholesome and Yard Methods Good. The committee of experts engaged by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the Chicago Commercial Association' to investigate conditions at the Chi-’cagO-stock yards has made its reports, giving the packing plants a clean bill of health. The products ate declared wholesome and tlie inspection efficient, and nearly all the rooms are found 7 cleanly and under The report covers a period of two weeks, during which the committee inspected conditions in,fourteen packing houses. On many points the inquiry showed conditions satisfactory. Some of the comments on methods may be thus summarized. ‘ Night cleaning system is ample. Carcasses "of sheep, cattle and hogs never touch floors. Ante-mortem examination less important than post-mortem. — r .~. ■■■ Preserved meat can be spoiled by improper handling. Federal' 'inspection laws sufficiently rigid. Condemnation of young carcasses too strict. Y’ards not injurious to live animals confined therein. Cattle inspection rigid. Hog inspection reasonably efficient. Sheep inspection less thorough. Cripples and “downers” sometimes wholesome. The experts made recommendations touching sanitation in brief as follows: Abolition 6'f old sections of all plants. Obedience of bosses to anti-spitting rule. More and modern toilet rooms. Impervious material for killing floors. Better light and ventilation for cutting and trimming rooms. Installation of fly screens. Workmen's clothing should be cleaned daily. Requiring workmen to wash hands. Hospital for sick animals advised. As to methods in vogue, improvements urged were in short as follows: Preservatives should be subjected to further inquiry. ■ Supervision on all materials used for canned goods. Cleanly methods in handling pickled meats. Scientific tests for canned goods. - Iteformnh methods of utilizing unnutri• five meat. Correct and explicit labels on cans. Cleaner methods of handling sausage moat. Responsibility for any meat unfit sos human consumption that may in the future get into Interstate Or foreign commerce is placed squarely with the federal authorities. In this declaration the committee of experts represents that it has examined the meat inspection bill recently passed by Congress and finds that its provisions are so stringent that government inspectors are to blame if any unwholesome meat is passed.