INSPECTION OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 93, 10 September 1896, Page 2

INSPECTION OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES.

TO THE EDITOR, Sib — In the interest of the owners of licensed slaughtering houses and the publio generally, the Government should take the inspection of slaughtering houses out of the hauds of local bodies. In almost every country district persons slaughter stock for sale without a license, and nobody seems to have the power (or if they have they don't seem to use it) to prevent it. If a person applies for a license, premises have to be erected, and many stringent regulations carried out, such as the keeping of books recording age, sex, description of brands and' earmarks, &c. Around him many kill without complying with any of these conditions and without a license, and generally undersell the licensed butcher. Last week there was a case here of a cow being killed for a party of roadmakers, and the men seeing the condition of the animal's lungs refused' to- eat the meat, it being badly affeoted with tuberculosis. If a person exposes a diseased animal in a public yard for sale ho is severely punished, and the Inspector of Stock prosecutes him ; but the Stock Inspector was acquainted with the fact of persons killing without license, and he stated that it was not his business. Killing stock which are diseased for human food is far harder to detect, and should not be left under the control of a person paid by the ratepayers, who are the persons that break the law. I hope that this will come under the eye of some member of the House who will introduce a measure to prevent persons infringing the Slaughtering Act by killing what and where they choose. I am, &c, Eleotob. Kiwitea, lit September.