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106
ALDGATE MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSES.
The two additional inspectors entered on their duties during the month of January,
and the result of their year's work has fully justified their appointment.
The new Byelaws did not come into operation until the month of June, since then
there has been a continuous inspection of all animals killed at these slaughterhouses.
No. 19 Byelaw provides that—
Every occupier of a Slaughterhouse who shall intend to slaughter any animal
in such Slaughterhouse, or to cause or to permit any animal to be slaughtered
therein, at any time other than between the hours of seven o'clock in the forenoon
and three o'clock in the afternoon on a Sunday, or between the hours of six o'clock
in the forenoon and nine o'clock in the afternoon on any other day, shall give to
the Corporation at least three hours' notice in writing of such intention, which
shall be delivered or sent to their Veterinary Inspector at his office.
Such person shall state in every such notice the address of such Slaughterhouse,
and the time at which the slaughtering is intended to be commenced, and he shall sign
such notice or cause the same to be signed by his duly authorised agent.
The following table shows the result of this Byelaw during the time it has been in
operation (from June until 31st December) :—
Extra hours of duty performed by the Inspectors.
No. of Notices Received. Before 6 a.m. After 9 p.m. No. of Animals killed.
Hours. Minutes. Hours. Minutes. Cattle. Sheep. Calves.
40 5 0 100 30 750 525 132
No. 20 Byelaw provides that—
An occupier of a Slaughterhouse shall not allow any person to remove from
the Slaughterhouse, without reasonable excuse, the carcass or any organs of any
animal until the same have been inspected and passed by the Inspector or other
person authorised by the Corporation.
From a long experience of meat inspection in public and private slaughterhouses,
I am of opinion that these two Byelaws are the most important that have ever been
drafted, in securing an inspection of every carcase and organ, and it is gratifying to
report that there has been no offence against these Byelaws, and that the butchers have
rendered to the Inspectors every help and information required.
As the following table shows, compared with the figures for 1910, the number of
cattle killed is considerably less ; this may be accounted for by the difficulty butchers
experienced in obtaining cattle for some time during the year owing to the outbreak of
Foot and Mouth Disease, but there is shown an increase in the number of sheep and
calves slaughtered.