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For a time I was unable to get clear evidence of what was done
with the stuff so delivered. Sausage manufacturers, and makers of
various seductive if unwholesome relishes, seemed one and all to
have deserted the place—not one of them came near, but what was
more suspicious to me not a single barrow of cat's meat left the
place, neither was a genuine cat's meat man seen to enter. I was
about to give the matter up for a time when a lucky accident solved
the mystery, and we ascertained that the stuff was removed in a
most roundabout and surreptitious manner to a small private house,
then in a parish over our northern boundary but now in our own
district, from whence it was fetched, not by cat's meat men but by
makers of sausages and other mysterious things who came from the
adjoining districts. I communicated with the officers of the several
authorities concerned, and placed an agent and my information at
their disposal, with the result that one butcher in the Hackney
district was followed home with a consignment, and as soon as it
was at his shop it was seized by the sanitary officers and subsequently
condemned at the North London Police Court. Legal
proceedings are being taken in this case, and I hope that others whoare
engaged in this horrible trade may yet be captured. What is
wanted for this offence is imprisonment for all engaged in it, without
the option of a fine ; and until this becomes the invariable rule the
trade will not be stopped. At present I have absolutely no doubt
that there is an enormous amount of filthy poisonous food (of course
deeply masked with condiments) dealt in, and that regular wellestablished
markets and agents exist for this purpose, and are as
well known in certain circles as are the bona-fidt recognised markets.
In one case the market is open, in the other it is carried on in
underground channels, but just as regularly and just as well known
to those who deal in it as is the other. Apathy and neglect by some
authorities, under-staffing and mean parsimony in others, as well as
a general want of co-operation between authorities as a whole has
long since permitted this evil to become a scandal and a disgrace to
London administration. Apart from all other considerations, there
can be no doubt that some central authority should have charge of
this matter. Take our experiences of the last three years. The