Question

"the conditions shown by even this short inspection to exist in the chicago stock yards are revolting. it is imperatively necessary in the interest of health and of decency that they should be radically changed. under the existing law it is wholly impossible to secure satisfactory results. when my attention was first directed to this matter an investigation was made under the bureau of animal industry of the department of agriculture."—president roosevelt, from a cover letter to the neill-reynolds report, june 4, 1906 what was the main impetus for investigations like the one for which this report was generated

Answer 1

The main impetus for the investigation like that one given above was a negative account about food-processing that was written by a muckraker, for which this report was generated. During the progressive era, muckrakers were American journalist with reform-minded mindset that attacked well-known leaders and institutions as corrupt.