The Jungle Era

  Packingtown was the most vile slum in Chicago. It was dangerous for both those who worked there, and those who lived there. Packingtown was filled with disease, poorly built homes, and very dangerous working conditions. The worst part was the treatment of the people working in the industry. Sinclair explains how everything in Packingtown was made against the workers. He tells how the workers were used and discarded. Workers had no safety and many died easily. The only way to live and survive in Packingtown was taking your own safety in your own hands.
  The plant owners (meat packing plant owners) wanted nothing but work from workers and money from buyers. They didn't care if you died got sick or hurt. You packed the meat no matter what, and you bought the meat and got sick. Plant owners wanted low pay rates, hard work, and dedication. If you got sick you got sick and they threw you out an found another person to work. They wanted workers the could use and discard. Their main goal being make profits.
  When Sinclair says "there was no place in it where a man counted for anything against a dollar...", he means