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130
paring the general condition of cowsheds of to-day and of a fewyears
back there is a decided improvement, but there yet remains
much to be done before wholesome milk is obtainable.
There are 15 registered and licensed slaughter-houses in the
Borough, and during the year 201 inspections have been made,
as compared with 134 for the previous year.
The provisions of the Council's Bye-Laws, viz., limewashing
and cleansing, have been carried out. The inspections were made
in most cases at time of slaughtering, which necessitated visits
being made at extraordinary hours, including Sundays.
In previous reports I have stated that the private slaughterhouse
is a menace to the suppression of diseased meat being
imposed upon the public, for it is obvious if an unscrupulous
person has a questionable animal he refrains from sending it to
a public abattoir, where it would be subjected to inspection, but
he sends it to the private slaughter-house to be killed at the time
when the local Inspector is in bed. There seems little difficulty
in disposing of questionable carcases without sending them to a
public market.
The question of meat inspection is one of vital importance,
and to be effective must be done at the time of slaughtering, when
the carcase, together with the viscera, can be examined.
Under existing conditions there is no security for the public
against diseased meat, nor is there likely to be until it is made
compulsory for all animals intended for human food to be
slaughtered under strict supervision, passed and marked (as is
done in Kosher killed meat) before it is saleable to the public.
The payment of reasonable compensation for animals
surrendered, that appeared when alive to be in good health, but
when slaughtered proved to be diseased, would help in some
measure to eliminate diseased meat from the markets.
In previous reports I have strongly advocated the substitution
of the "Public Abattoir" for the private slaughter-house. But
this will not solve the difficulty unless the practice be general. It
would be futile for one district to embark upon this excellent
principle if the neighbouring districts continued with their private
slaughter-houses.