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10
4th. Every slaughter-house should be provided with a separate sideentrance,
so that animals should not be driven over the public footpath.
The present practice of driving animals over the footway is not only a
nuisance occasioned by the droppings of the animals, but is attended with
much danger to the passers by.
The evil of driving cattle through the public streets is admitted by a
Committee of the Metropolitan Board of "Works; but they say that in the
absence of thoroughly efficient substitutes this evil must be tolerated.
5thly and lastly. No place should be licensed as a slaughter-house
unless it be a detached building, and has an open space surrounding it of
several feet in width.
I am firmly of opinion that if the Metropolitan Board of "Works would
obtain powers to build public slaughter-houses in different parts of London,
and in sufficient number to be of easy acccss to the butchers, the majority
of the existing slaughter-houses would be discontinued ; the result of which
would be not only a great benefit to the public, but a very considerable
pecuniary gain to the butchers, who, by discontinuing to slaughter in their
present slaughter-houses, would find that they could slaughter their cattle
with very little cost. The meat of animals when slaughtered in a
well ventilated slaughter-house, will keep sweet for a longer period than
when slaughtering is performed in an insufficiently ventilated slaughterhouse
; and butchers, who have slaughter-houses attached to their shops,
might so utilize the space, so as to render their premises of much
greater value. It is manifest that unless public slaughter - houses are
provided the existing state of things must continue. It will be found
the greatest benefit to the public if butchers are compelled to slaughter
cattle in the public slaughter-houses, for it will compel the public authorities,
who should have the entire control of these places, to keep one man constantly
on the premises to thoroughly examine every animal when it enters the
slaughter-house, to see that the same is in a healthy state, and after slaughter
to see that the flesh is sound and fit for the use of man; and another man to
keep the slaughter-house in a clean and wholesome state. The existence of
so many slaughter-houses as there are now in London affords facilities for tho
slaughtering of diseased animals, and for the disposing of unsound meat; for
it is manifestly impossible that all the slaughter-houses can be so supervised
as to prevent diseased animals from being driven into the slaughter-houses,
and the unwholesome meat disposed of to the public to be used as food.
Under the existing state of things it is impossible to compel the occupier
of a slaughter-house to fulfil the conditions of the seventh bye-law,
which relates to the thoroughly cleansing of the slaughter-house within
three hours after the slaughtering is completed, for in some of the existing