The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1903 UNCLEAN SLAUGHTERHOUSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue XXXXV, 10 December 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1903 UNCLEAN SLAUGHTERHOUSES.

Judging by the report of tha V«tei<inary Division there is still room for improvement in the condition of slaughterhouses in the colony dospite the inspection enforced under the provisions of the now legislation dealing with sanitary conditions 01" the placets in which the food of the people is prepared or stored. Not so very long ago there was a stir in Auckland • c.-gnitling the state of the city abattoirs, and shocking stories of tilth were related. No provision seemed to have been made for even decent storage of the meat. Now we have some more examples of the same thing 1 , though unfortunately the Veterinary .Division's report does not inform us of Use whereabouts of the unsavoury .shambles mentioned. The following extracts make instructive thoug'h unpleasant reading : —" From an inspection made ol 's slaughterhouses 1 regret to report that 1 found t the premises in a dirty imd untidy condition. The floor of the slaughtering place was badly broken. The walls were partly lined with g~ulva.ii-H.-d iron, which ft best was not dffc high. There was no visible water supply. A hole dug behind the building to catch rain water was dry, and had a dead rat in it. There were several dead rats lying about , also, a dead cat in a forward state of putrefaction lying close to the slaughter-house, .which was in a lilthy condition., containing fat., green skins, hides and plucks. A pi'g which had died was on a immure heal) u illumed. The. pigs were fed with unboiled offal. . . From an inspection made on Hie 25th instant ol —— s slaughterhouse, I have to report th«t his slaughter-mouse is not in accordance with the provisions of the Slaughtering and Inspection Act. 'J he killing and dressing place is only partly lined with galvanised iron to the (wight of Jft. The hanging room in a wire-netting enclosure in a large shed which is used for skm-tirying, storing hides and fat, also for milking coavs. Knives, chopper,, saw and other tools were n'O't cleain, and the pigs were fed on unboiled offal. . . . From um inspection made of 's slaughterhouse I m>gret having to report a« I follows >t is a lean-to building of

the following dimensions : 12ft, by 18ft, height, of back wall 7fl, I'ro.nt wall 9l't, floor, clay. A portion, Oft by 12ft, was partitioned off with old sacks for a butcher's l shop. The remaiiaing portion, which was in -.a filthy condition, was used by two men as a sleeping ui;:l living room. The portion used as a shop was dirty beyond description. 1 found several pieces of meat in a putrid state. All meat in tho shop was unstamped, aind 1 saw unstamped meat sold while there. Knivafc, saw, and chopper were dirty. The slaughter-house is on a good site with an ample wat-er-supply, and if kept clean would meet the requirements of the Act. Pigs which were running at- large were lying about the slaughteryards, and were fed on unboiled oflal within a few feet of the slaughterhouse." These Slaughter-houses, which presented such a disgusting sight when visited by the inspector must have been in decent order when tho local bod.v granted their licenses to ki9l mint for human consumption, yet were allowed to go into a state like this. But ollicial reports do not have any real effects unless followed by rigorous prosecution of offenders who thus allow their premises to become a menace to public health. Were the names of the offenders noted abo.e published in their own Ukv.l Lies we can easily see that their customers would not tolerate this state of affairs, and the dirty butcher would soon lose his business, for it is hardly likely that people would continues to deaf from a man in whose slaughter-house it was known that pigs for future human consumption were running at large feeding on decaying offal, and where rats and other vermin abounded ; or if they knew that the meat was hung in ill ventilated tumd d'iirty sheds. YYfc are glad to be able to announce that the 'aibove state of affairs is unknown to New Plymouth, where the slaughterhouses are kept in goad order. But looal butchers will soon be able to usu the municipal abattoirs, which are looked upon as the panacea for the evils described above. The work of erecting the abattoirs is proceeding apace. They are in a splendid positioh for a practical illustration of cleanliness in slaughtering operations, and we hope the Borough Souncil will secure a thoroughly competent, man so that New I'ly- • mouth may continue to draw her meat supplies from well-kept premises.