View report page

8
1. Meat Inspection—The Chief Sanitary and the District
Sanitary Inspectors hold special certificates (or meat inspection.
Slaughter-houses and butchers' shops are visited periodically, but
during the year no diseased meat was seized, but 42 lbs. were
surrendered. There are 8 slaughter-houses and 26 butchers' shops
in the district. Each slaughter-house received on an average 179
visits per month ; there is therefore room for improvement.
2. Public Abattoir.—There is no public abattoir in the district,
nor are there any arrangements for meat being inspected at the
time of slaughter. Killing may take place any time.
The Ministry's Circular number 282 with regard to the inspection
of meat raised considerable difficulties owing to the nature
of the district, slaughter-houses, and the class of meat dealt with.
Since the war, the number of animals slaughtered in the district
has diminished. The one slaughter-house which would have been
ideal had it been in the centre of the town was situated at the
extreme end and was therefore unsuitable from the point of view of
accessability.
I asked the Local Butchers' Association to call a meeting at
which I attended to see what could be done to comply with the
Ministry's recommendations. Owing to difficulties, I asked that
one of the Ministrys' Officers might iuspect the Slaughter-houses,
with a view to obtaining a solution, his conclusion coincided with
mine, that it was practically impossible to alter any of the existing
slaughter-houses into a central slaughter-house without raising
serious difficulties, as the most likely one that could be made to
conform with the requirements would necessitate all beasts being
driven through the main streets, which, owing to the traffic, would
be a serious drawback.
3. Action under Section 117, Public Health Act, 1875.—None
during 1922.
4. Tubercular Meat.—There were none seized, but 42 lbs.
were surrenered during the year.
5. The following tabular statement on slaughter-houses is
required:—