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46
The slaughterhouses in Shoreditch are gradually decreasing. In 1893 there
were 20, in 1894 and 1895 they numbered 19, in 1896 and 1897 they numbered 17,
and in 1898 they number 16. Thirty years ago, according to the Annual Eeport of
the medical officer of health, there were in Shoreditch as many as 78 slaughterhouses.
The question of meat inspection and the provision of public slaughterhouses has
been under the consideration of the Public Health Committee of the London County
Council. In his report upon the subject, the medical officer of the Council showed
that meat inspection in London is inadequate, that diseased meat was received into
the metropolis, and he pointed out the necessity which exists for an efficient system
of inspection of all dead meat introduced into London, which had not been examined
in a public slaughterhouse. To ensure such inspection it is absolutely necessary
that all animals should be killed in public slaughterhouses. There are in London
some 450 private slaughterhouses, and the systematic inspection of the animals
killed in such a large number of premises is practically impossible.
The recent report of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis contains the following
paragraphs bearing upon meat inspection:—
(29) "Believing as we do, that the use of public slaughterhouses in populous
"places, to the exclusion of all private ones, is a necessary preliminary to
"a uniform and equitable system of meat inspection, we desire to point out
"that we consider that power should be given to every Local Authority
"expending money in providing a public slaughterhouse to close, if they
"think fit, all or any of the registered slaughterhouses in the district."
(31) "In every district in which a public slaughterhouse has been provided, it
"will be possible for the Local Authority to ensure the inspection of the
"carcases of all animals killed within it. There will still remain the need
"for inspection of carcases brought from other districts where the animals
"have been killed. We think that every Local Authority should be
"prepared to receive into its district, without further inspection, meat
"which, having been killed in the public slaughterhouse of another
"authority, has already been subjected to inspection and approved, and
"which bears sufficient evidence of such approval. But every Local
"Authority should be empowered to provide in its district one or more
"stations, and to require meat to be brought there for inspection which
"has not been previously inspected elsewhere. Foreign meat should, we
"think, also be required to bear mark of inspection and approval at time
"of killing, and steps should be taken through consular and other agencies,
"to ascertain from time to time that there there was efficient inspection at
"foreign slaughterhouses of meat intended for transmission to this
"country."