THE PEOPLE'S FOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8163, 23 July 1906, Page 3

THE PEOPLE'S FOOD.

NEW PLYMOUTH'S MEAT SUPI'LIKS. Since the publication of tlic nause- [ ating and startling disclosures anew the Chicago meat-packing methods, the people of this colony seein to have grown suspicious somewhat in regard to their own food supplies. "Suspicion shall be stuck full of eyes,'' and suspicion seems in this case to have conjured up suckgruesome fright that many jpople in New Plymouth believed they were on the verge of a great meat scan<l-'-Among other things, the "man in the street" inferred that meat condemned as unfit for human use was finding its way into, New Plymouth, and into oidinary consumption. The side-walk know-all recited in favor of his yarn a good deal of inferential detail, reflecting rather unfavorably on some well known men here. Such a rumor, of course, of a highly injurious and defamatory nature must be investigated, so a "Daily News" reporter paid a visit to the New Plymouth municipal abattoirs on Wednesday, where he had an interesting conversation with the courteous and obliging manager and Government meat inspector, Mr C. ]• Reakes, besides taking advantage of the opportunity to see how fared the people's food at the hands of the slaughtering staff. From our investigation, it seems quite true to-day, as in other days, that "suspicion is often a needless pain." The governing principles of the whole of the operations at the abattoirs can be summed up shortly, "Care and cleanliness." Whilst it is manifestly impossible during killing to have -everything as clean as a new pin, it is easy to note the remarkable improvement upon the condition of many private slaughterhouses a few years back. There is no accumulation of waste or scraps from previous work, and consequently no objectionable odour arises. The floors are of concrete, and the walls are also of solid concrete to a height of from four or five feet above the 'floor. The remainder of the interior of the building is painted white, and the paint is as good to-day as when applied two or three years ago. There is, then, no need to fear that dirt can attach to the meat. The whole operation of killing,skinning and cleaning the beasts killed is so rapidly and skilfully performed, under such excellent conditions and such careful inspection that it appeared impossible for any objectionable factor to creep in. After killing, every spot and every splash is removed by scrubbing and copious supplies of hot water, and at the finish of the cleansing performance it would be hard to believe that the interior of the building had a fen minutes before been a scene of blood and slaughter. Mr Keakes showed our representative the beef hanging up for to-day's town supplies—all meat must hang at least one day before going to the shops—and a number of carcases of veal and beef killed for the export trade. These, ot course, were not in the same splendid condition as the steer beef sent in for killing by our local purveyors of fleshy food. In answer to a query, Mr Reakes said it was impossible for this export meat to be used up for local consumption, as the whole of it had to be and packed at the' abattoirs before leaving the premises for the freezing works. Mr Reakes said he had heard the alarmist rumors that condemned meat was not being used as it should be, and that some of it reached the town. Besides answering the rumor and denying the truth of it, so far as the abattoirs were concerned, he went to the trouble of showing our representative what became of condemned carcases. There was one in the building at the time, the body of a cow condemned as having tuberculosis in the advanced stage. A casual glance showed the truth of the diagnosis. "Before that meat leaves here," he said, "it is freely treated with that—" and he pointed to the kerosene supplies in the en-gine-room. "Every carcase that is condemned is cut up, and is saturated with kerosene before it goes on to the digester to be reduced to manure."

A visit was then paid to Messrs Sole Bros.' boiling-down works. "Where are those two cows we sent across yesterday ?" asked Mr Reakes.

"There they are," said the attendant, pointing to a small heap residue that had just ben from the digester. The whole of the remains could with ease be placed in a couple of potato sacks. "Not much chance of that gettinginto consumption, eh ?" said Mr Reakes, and the man in charge remarked, "there's not much left of a beast when he's had solbs pressure of steam on him for several hours." This residue was then shovelled into the adjoining building ffor manure. Messrs Sole Bros, have an up-to-date plant here, that quickly reduces the condemned meat to a very small quantity of harmless refuse, and a few pounds of tallow.

A few minutes were spent in inspecting the stockyards, races, and quite satisfied that so long as the pens, and our representative left municipal abattoirs are conducted in their present manner there is nothing to fear from that Quarter.