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35
During the year a struggle has been going on between the
meat trade and cattle breeders and dealers, the butchers asking for
a warranty from the vendor with all cattle bought at a fair market
price, in the event of such cattle upon slaughter being found to
be affected with tuberculosis.
The attempt to eradicate tuberculosis is a task of great
magnitude but it should be done in the interests of Public Health,
Dairy Farming and Cattle Breeding. Legislation should be
introduced without delay for enabling compensation to be made
for all cattle slaughtered for food, but found to be infected with
tuberculosis, and thereupon voluntarily surrendered for destruction
(that is providing a fair market price was paid for the cattle) in
some similar way as compensation is made to owners of cattle that
are destroyed under the powers of the Contagious. Diseases
(Animals) Acts.
Bye-laws for the regulation of Slaughter-houses are being
considered by the Bye-laws Sub-Committee and will be put in
force in the District as early as possible.
FOOD SUPPLY.
During the year, 102 inspections have been made of the
various shops and premises in the District where articles of food,
meat, fish, &c., are sold or prepared for sale.
One carcase of mutton, part of a carcase of pork, two beast's
livers, two boxes of kippers, 25 tins of salmon, and one trunk of
mixed fish have been destroyed as unfit for food.
During the year the Kingston Guardians have established pigbreeding
at the Union Farm, Kingston Road, for the supply o
pork for their own consumption.
The use of preservatives in food is an important question in
connection with food supply. The introduction of drugs into foods
for preservation or colouration is now practised to an enormous
extent, and in view of the conflicting and varying opinions upon
this matter it is highly desirable that legislation was introduced to
fix a standard as to the amount (if any) of preservative or colouring
matter to be used in the preservation or colouration of different
fqods.
The Public Health Foreign Meat Regulations which came into
operation on January 1st, 1909, are intended to control imported
boneless and boxed meats. By these regulations imported pork,
tripe, tongues, and kidneys will be more rigorously inspected.