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219 [1904
but they recommend that, for the present at any rate, it should
be merely permissive (like the present license for motor drivers),
having as its main value the power of withdrawal in case of
cruelty, incompetence, or misconduct. Only a nominal fee
should be charged for a license. The Committee have received
a good deal of evidence to show that the institution of licenses
would not only be desirable from a general standpoint, but would
also be received with favour by the trade." *
In paragraph 10 of their report they give details as to the manner in which
the various food animals should be killed. It reads as follows :—
Detailed Methods of Slaughter.
io. As a result of their investigations, and proceeding on the preliminary
assumption that all animals should be stunned, or otherwise rendered
unconscious before being bled, the Committee are of opinion that the
following methods are the most humane, expeditious, and practical
and recommend that they should be prescribed by bye-laws or
otherwise enforced.
Cattle.
(a) Each animal should be roped before being brought into the
slaughter-chamber, which should be so arranged that the animal
can be led in straight up to the slaughter-ring, without having to
be turned round. The turning round of a restive or excited
animal in order to get its head into the proper position for a
right-handed blow, is not an easy matter, particularly if the floor
is slippery, and, besides causing delay, is apt to lead to cruelty in
the way of blows and tail twisting.
The slaughter ring should be affixed to the wall, about two feet from
the ground, in such a position as to admit of a right-handed blow
from the slaughterman. The common arrangement of fixing the
slaughter-ring in the middle of the floor is not recommended, as
it facilitates undesirable movement in the case of restive
* The Committee are glad to note that the class of men employed in slaughtering work, at
any rate, in large establishments, has greatly improved in late years, and for the greater part they
now appear to be both highly trained and well paid.