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50
The old registered slaughterhouse situate in Bath
Passage was purchased by the Corporation and is not now
in use. This change did not affect the work of inspection
much, as for some considerable time previously, killing took
place only at intervals of several months, and only then in
order to retain the registration of the premises as a slaughterhouse.
One thousand seven hundred and twenty-six visits were
paid to these premises during the year, as compared with
1,891 during 1929.
There is no alteration in the structure of the slaughterhouses
to report. As I have reported in past years, the
buildings are old, and they are kept in as good condition as
possible, having regard to their age and type. The occupiers
are willing, usually, to comply with reasonable requirements
and to observe the Bylaws.
The Bylaw dealing with the humane slaughter of animals
has now been in operation long enough to show any weakness,
and I am glad to be able to say that it has proved quite
workable. All kinds of animals are stunned by a mechanical
instrument before slaughter, and although there have been
upwards of 12,000 animals dealt with per annum recently,
I know of no case where the carcase has been damaged or
harmed by the use of the gun.
The only complaint I have received was from one
slaughterman. He complained that the gun was not reliable,
but investigation proved that the trouble he had experienced
was due entirely to lack of care in the treatment of the
instrument and total disregard of the instructions issued by
the makers.
IMPROPER FIXING OF GAS APPLIANCES.
During the past few years several instances of improper
fixing of gas appliances have been noted, and in some cases
every effort to induce the owner of the house to remedy the
defective condition has failed. The defect referred to generally
is the fixing of a geyser (of a type in which complete
combustion of gas does not take place) without a sufficient
flue to the open air. In such cases the use of the gas
appliance may be highly dangerous, owing to the production
of carbon monoxide, a gas which has no odour and,