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188
was forthcoming. The slaughtering had been done by another butcher,
and not by the licensee. At a slaughter-house in Walmer Road, two
very large pigs had been killed by the licensee, according to his own
statement, but there was no blood in any receptacle. It was stated that
the blood was in the "blood-pit," but there was none—indeed, its
presence in that receptacle would have been an offence against bye-law 5.
A number of sheep, moreover, had been killed by another butcher, and
slaughtering was still in progress; but there was no blood in any covered
receptacle. As no explanation of this fact was forthcoming, your
Committee could only conclude that the blood had been washed down
the drains. They are of opinion and recommend that proceedings be
taken against the licensee and the other butcher, for an offence under
bye-law 5. At some of the licensed premises the receptacles for offal,
&c., were found, more or less out of shape, so that the lids did not fit
tightly. In such cases nuisance is inevitable, when offal, &c., has
become decomposed, and the matter should receive careful and
continuous attention from the Inspectors. In their report last year, your
Committee had occasion to complain of the defective lighting of two
slaughter-houses in Royal Crescent Mews. The representations made
to the County Council had the desired effect, the said premises now
being adequately lighted, so that the business can be conducted with
closed doors. At one of these slaughter-houses, an employe of the
licensee admitted that the business was sometimes carried on with open
doors—a matter to which the Sanitary Inspector should give his attention."
It is hardly necessary to remind your Vestry that the
Slaughter-houses (Metropolis) Act, 1874, was repealed by
(and its provisions re-enacted in) the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891 which came into operation on the first day of the
current year. It is to be desired, in the interests of public
health, that private slaughter-houses may at no distant date
give place to public abattoirs. Meanwhile it is satisfactory
to know that comparatively little slaughtering goes on in the
Parish, the wants of which are provided for by the dead
meat trade.
In my Annual Report for 1889, I gave a summary of
the provisions of the Sale of Horseflesh, &c., Regulation
Act, which came into force in September, 1889.
Hitherto no shop had been opened in this Parish for the
sale of horseflesh for food of man.