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LICENSED SLAUGHTER-HOUSES.
Twelve slaughter-houses were licensed by the County Council in October—six in North Kensington
and six in South Kensington. The several premises were regularly visited by the
sanitary inspectors, and were inspected, in September, by the Public Health Committee. The business
of a slaughterer of cattle has not been established anew in the Borough since the passing of the
(now repealed) Slaughter-houses (Metropolis) Act, 1874, in which year there were 48 licensed
premises.
The names of the licensees, and the localities of the premises, are as follows : —
North Kensington.
Lonsdale Mews Mr. Grove.
13, Archer Mews Mr. Bawcombe.
10, Edenham Mews Mr. Gibson.
195, Clarendon Road Mr. Simmons.
235, Walmer Road Mrs. Van.
273, Kensal Road Mr. Miles.
South Kensington.
35, Earl's Court Road Mr. Matson.
11, Peel Place, Silver Street Mr. Csborne.
25, Silver Street Mr. Bounds.
133, High Street, Notting Hill Miss Candy.
113, Holland Park Avenue Mr. Holloway.
128, Marlborough Road Mr. Little.
PUBLIC ABATTOIRS versus PRIVATE SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
The Public Health Committee of the County Council, in 1898, made recommendations which,
had they been adopted, would, before now, have provided the Administrative County with public
slaughter-houses, and accelerated the reduction in the number of private slaughter-houses which has
been going on since the passing of the (now repealed) Slaughter-houses (Metropolis) Act, 1874.
In that year there were 1,500 private slaughter-houses in London, or one to 2,300 inhabitants;
whereas in 1905, only 317 were licensed,* equal to one to 15,000 inhabitants.t The Committee
had been moved to make the recommendation referred to, by a report of the Medical
Officer of Health of the County Council, in which it was pointed out that to prevent the importation
of diseased meat, and for the protection, especially, of the poorer inhabitants, who are the purchasers
of the cheaper meat, it was necessary that a system of inspection of all dead meat introduced into
London, and which had not been examined in a public slaughter-house, should be instituted; whilst
in order to ensure the inspection of meat killed in London, it was absolutely necessary that all animals
should be killed in public slaughter-houses, in which alone due inspection of the meat is practicable.
The Committee endorsed the view that systematic inspection of the animals is impossible in view
of the numerous premises (438 in 1898) in London, in which they are killed. They strengthened
their case by a reference to the report of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis as to the necessity
for public slaughter-houses, and facilities for the inspection of meat.
The resolutions submitted for adoption by the Council were:—
(a) "That in the opinion of the Council it is desirable that, as a first step towards ensuring
the proper inspection of meat, private slaughter-houses should cease to exist in London, and
that butchers should, in substitution, be afforded such facilities as are necessary for the killing
of animals in public slaughter-houses to be erected by the Council."
(b) Intimated the Council's readiness "to acccpt such responsibilities as may be necessary
to give effect in London to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis,"
and proposed to ask the Local Government Board "whether they will include in any legislation
introduced by them in connection with the Royal Commission's report, the provisions which
would be necessary for this purpose."
The Council ultimately disposed of the matter by passing a motion to "proceed to the
next business"—a course by which a like recommendation of the Committee was laid to rest in
1906—notwithstanding that a petition referred to them, "signed by 100 persons, amongst whom were
several of the leading members of the medical profession," had urged the Council to take steps for
the establishment of public slaughter-houses.
*In 1906 only 305, and in 1907 292.
†In 1874 there were 48 licensed slaughter-houses in Kensington, or one to 2,785 inhabitants; in 1905 only 12, or one
to 15,000 inhabitants. In the latter year there were about 120 butchers' shops in the borough, at 90 per cent. of which
business was carried on without the aid of a private slaughter-house: comparatively little slaughtering, moreover, being done on
any of the licensed premises.