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all, will I believe be promoted by giving opportunity for slaughtering to the 4,500 butchers in London
who now have no slaughterhouses.
The Vestry of Rotherhithe fear also an increase in the price of meat, which I have discussed
already in connection with Clerkenwell.
The Vestry of Stoke Newington express the opinion that an official inspection of meat could
be obtained without the establishment of public slaughterhouses. This point I have already dealt with.
The Vestry of St. Pancras " are in favour of public slaughterhouses, but do not desire the suppression
of properly conducted private establishments."
The Vestry of St. George-the-Martyr have no evidence before them which enables them to
support the proposals of the Committee.
The District Board of Wandsworth are of opinion that "the recommendations of the Royal
Commission can only be satisfactorily carried out by provisions extending over the whole country."
It may be hoped that the Government by the introduction of a bill will enable this to be done.
The communications of the agricultural societies do not touch any other points than those
previously mentioned. They express in the main a plea that the supply of home-produced cattle to
traders will be prejudiced.
While objection is being shown to the recommendations of the Committee by the butchers'
trade associations, it is well to point out that the provision of public slaughterhouses was urged before
the late Royal Commission on Tuberculosis by numerous witnesses as necessary in the interest of the
stockowner and the butcher as well as in the interest of the public health. Thus, in addition to the
witnesses who were members of the medical and veterinary professions, who expressed opinions in favour
of public slaughterhouses, may be mentioned Mr. Benjamin St. John Ackers, chairman of the Cattle
Diseases Committee of the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture, and chairman of the
Farmers' Club; Mr. James Scarlett, president of the Paisley United Fleshers' Society; Mr. John Bell,
president of the Carlisle and District Butchers' and Insurance Association ; Mr. George Jackson Ward,
butcher, of Middleton, who spoke for the wholesale trade, and Mr. John Dobbie, who appeared on behalf
of the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture.
Beyond this, the Vestry of Battersea support the Committee's recommendations, and the
Vestry of Islington have informed the Council that they have approved and adopted the suggestions
of their medical officer of health, Dr. A. E. Harris, who has given the following reasons for the adoption
by the Council of the Public Health Committee's recommendations—
1. Hygienic reasons.
(а) That the erection of such buildings -would remove nuisances from the neighbourhood of
dwelling houses.
(b) That it would exclude putrifiable matter from the sewers.
(c) That it would protect meat from the liability to exposure from foul emanations.
(d) That it would ensure the thorough examination of all meat for disease.
(e) That it would materially tend to limit the traffic in diseased meat.
2. Economic reasons.
(a) That the meat would be less liable to spoil, because slaughtered under better conditions.
(b) That much blood and offal now lost would be entirely saved.
(c) That there would be a saving from order, the proper division of labour, avoidance of driving
animals through the streets, and the doing of business on a largo scale.
(d) That abattoirs properly managed yield a fair profit.
3. Humanitarian reasons.
(а) That much of the cruelty to animals that now occurs would be put an end to, owing to the use of
improved appliances for slaughtering.
(b) That the driving of weary and exhausted cattle through our streets would be avoided, owing to
the abattoirs being situated near railway stations.
(c) That the street danger to the public would be greatly lessened, if not altogether eliminated.
The recommendations of the Committee are, moreover, supported by—
1. Sir Samuel Wilks, Sir William MacCormac, and Sir William Broadbent, on behalf of
the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption, who express the
opinion that " if the Council takes steps to prevent the sale of tubercle-infected
milk in London and ensures the proper examination of meat by the substitution
of public for private slaughterhouses, there is every prospect of reducing the
present mortality from tuberculosis, especially among the poor, who more
particularly suffer from the effects of meat and milk of dangerous quality."
2. The Sanitary Institute of Great Britain.
3. The National Health Society.
4. The Humanitarian League.
5. The Church Society for the Promotion of Kindness to Animals.
6. The London Model Abattoir Society.
7. The Church Sanitary Association.
8. The Poplar Labour League, the North Camberwell Radical Club and Institute, and
the Mildmay Radical Club and Institute.
I may also submit extracts from Sir Richard Thome's recent Harben lecture, which are to the
following effect—
"How is the very proper demand of the butchers for uniformity in the conditions regulating
"the seizure of carcases on account of tuberculosis to be met? How is such skilful handling of slightly
"tuberculous carcases to be attained as will secure the removal of the diseased portions in such a way
"that no risk shall attach to the remainder? I only know one answer, namely, by the abolition, as
"far as practicable, of private slaughterhouses, by the provision in all large centres of population,