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under the supervision of the Corporation of London or the Metropolitan Board of Work;
and that those Corporations should be urged to undertake the erection of such buildings,
and also the management of them forthwith."
Mr. Iliff proposed an amendment, which Mr. Burge seconded:—'" That it is expedient
that the 55th section of the Act of 1844 be repealed, but that the number of slaughter
houses be gradually diminished by the abolition of many which are not in a thoroughly
fit condition, and which have been in a measure tolerated on account of the uncertainty
of the law ; and that general, precise, stringent, and uniform regulations should be laid
down to be adopted by the Vestries, and that greater power be given to the Local
Authority to take proceedings at any time of the year, in cases where untrapped drains,
want of care and cleanliness, cruelty, and generally deficient arrangements for layerage
are found to exist—penalties being recoverable in any Police Court; and that no slaughter
house be licensed until the owner has signed a copy of bye-laws, pledging himself to carry
them out fully and faithfully."
On a show of hands being taken, only the mover and seconder appeared
for the amendment. The motion was then put and carried.
A paper was also read at a meeting of the National Association for the
promotion of Social Science, by Dr. Hardwicke, Medical Officer of Health
for Paddington, on the "Abolition of Private Slaughter Houses in Towns,
and on Future Legislation for Noxious Trades," the main purport of
which was to shew the unhealthiness of private slaughter houses and
the desirability of abolishing them, and in their stead to erect public
abattoirs.
The following are the conclusions arrived at by the reader of the
paper*:—
The site most convenient for the establishing of a public abattoir should
be an open space or field, not farther distant in the suburbs of a town or
city than a short drive or walk; it should be suitable for one or more
blocks of building, near a railway, water communication, or the cattle
market. Tho following buildings should be contiguous, but distinct from
each other:—
1. Slaughter house for bullocks, sheep, and pigs, with good water supply at high
pressure; open ventilation, good drainage, asphalte floor, with convenience for the
removal of blood, offal, and carcases of animals.
2. A set of cattle pens or layerage, with store for fodder, water trough, facility for
cleansing, and the removal of manure, &c.
3. An engine and boiler house, with tall chimney for carrying off gases, according to
the necessity of trade, with sufficient steam power for the tallow-melting tanks, grease
works, bone boiling, glue making, &c. ; hot water for washing and cleansiug.
* Sessional proceeding)* of the National Association for the Promotion of Science; with which
is united tho Society for Promoting tho Amendment of the Law, Tuesday, April 7th, 1874.