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I called the attention of the owners to the condition of the meat on January
3rd, and suggested that it should be destroyed or a careful examination made by
boning and slicing the meat, afterwards destroying the unsound portion.
I received a reply on January 5th asking that a further examination of the
meat should be made. After some conversation on the telephone, I made a
further examination on January 9th, and wrote to the owners that I had found the
parasites present on the second examination, and I again requested that the meat
should be dealt with as suggested in my letter of January 3rd.
On January 14th I received a letter stating that my request will be an exceedingly
expensive operation, and that the owners " are considering the question of
re-shipping the whole of the parcel back to Australia. If it can be arranged, we
presume there can be no objection to this course as far as your department is
concerned."
A similar request for re-shipment was received by me on January 19th. I
replied on the same date that I would not permit them to re-ship the meat to
Australia. I further iniormed them that if they could not accept either of the two
suggestions made in my former letters, the only other alternative would be to have
the matter dealt with by a Stipendiary Magistrate, as laid down in the Unsound
Food Regulations.
I afterwards saw a representative of the owners, who desired me to place the
facts before the Public Health Committee, and to read the following:—
" Referring to the conversation the writer had with you last week respecting
the above parcel, when he asked you if the position could be reconsidered and
we be allowed to re-ship it back to Australia on condition that we would give
an undertaking that the meat would not find its way back to this country in
any form whatever We gladly give this undertaking, and we can assure you
that the authorities in Queensland are taking every precaution to prevent any
brisket and flank meat being exported.
" Our reason for asking permission to re-ship the goods is because we think
we can make special arrangements with the Shipping Company in the matter
of freight; and we have facilities for turning the product into manure, which
do not exist at this end. Thereby we hope to some extent to minimise the
loss, which will necessarily be heavy."
The freight to Australia is probably more than the difference in the price
received for it in Australia for manure, purposes and that received for it if sold for
similar purposes in this country.
The owners could appeal to the Magistrate, who, if satisfied that the meat will
not be used for human food, could make an order for it to be re-shipped to Australia.