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167
THE LICENSED SLAUGHTER-HOUSES.
The licensed slaughter-houses, which in 1874 were 54 in
number, are now only '24, viz., 15 in North Kensington, i.e., the
district north of Uxbridge Road, and 9 in South Kensington, i.e.,
in the remainder of the parish south of Uxbridge Road. The
names of the licensees, and the localities of the licensed premises,
are set out in Table XI. (Appendix). The several premises were
inspected, in July, by the Works, Sanitary, and General Purposes
Committee, who found them to be "in a satisfactory condition."
The Committee reported that "comparatively little slaughtering
appears to be now carried on in the parish, and on some of the
premises none at all." Wherever animals were found in the lairs,
it was observed with satisfaction that, in accordance with a
frequently repeated recommendation of the Committee, a supply
of water had been provided. Altogether, the state of matters in
regard to the slaughter-houses has undergone a great improvement
since the passing of the Act in 1874. I am of opinion, nevertheless,
that private slaughter-houses should give place to public
abattoirs, and that the dead meat trade should be encouraged to
the utmost. It would be well, moreover, looking at the matter
from the public health point of view, to increase facilities for
bringing the consumer into direct relations with the purveyor of
meat—mutton especially—imported from our colonies. This
meat, usually excellent in quality and condition, is often sold at
an unfairly high price as English meat, to the best of which, so
far as my experience goes, it is in no way inferior.
The business of a slaughterer of cattle has not been established
anew in Kensington since the passing of the Act.
The number of private slaughter-houses in the Metropolis,
which in 1874 was 1,429, had fallen, in October, 1884, to 792,
and this without any evidence to show that inconvenience had
arisen to the public, or that the supply of sound meat had been
in any way curtailed.