MEAT INSPECTION.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 136, 5 December 1903, Page 6

MEAT INSPECTION.

FURTHER COMMENTS BY THE VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. MUNICIPAL ABATTOIRS WANTED. The cost of adminu»t«ring tho Slaughtering and Inspection Act during tho laM financial year was about £8600. As, however, £8378 6s 7d wa» due, «« imwectton fees, tho net total cost was only £221 13s sd. Tho total number of animals examined upon slaughter for human consumption within and without tho colony reached the following :— Total cattlo examined 99,037, wholly condemned 1435, partially condemned 717 j aheep, 3,279,825, 7882, and 99; lambs, 2,252,660, 1034, and 46; mm, 23,076, 274, and 76. Theeo figures (anya tho Chief Goiromn>ettt Veterinarian iv hio annual import) roveal a substantial advance upon thoao for any previous year, duo, of course, to tho increased number exported and the oiKiiing of additional public abattoirs in tua larger towns. Mr. GiJrutfi rofcra Co tho erection of abattoirs during the year at various place« hi tho colony, and goes on to cay : "It in regrettable that it ahould bo left to the two largest cities in the North InlandAuckland ttnd Wellington — to show the greatest indifforenco to undertaking thewe most necessary public works. Although a largo portion of tho meAt-supply of thooo two citiea is probably drawn from meat-export fclaughterhousos in their vicinity wliero in*p«:tion i» carried on, it must bo obvious to every one that to draw any portion of that supply from private slaughterhouses is, to cay tho least, to obtain it from a oourco whoro the existence oi tneaniUry arrangemenffl is probcvblo, to say nothing of tno risk of the flesh of diseased animals being offered for sale for human consumption. If there are any doubts on cither of theao points, certain paragraph* in tho section of this report which deals with privato slaughterhouses will, perhaps, effectually remove thorn." Tho Chief Veterinarian quotes the number of etock killed for, local consumption at abattoirs and other slaughterhouses where inspection i» carried on, showing that tho neroentag-crt of animals wholly condemned and partially condemned has boon very small, and he maintains that tho figuree provo that where inspection is systematically carried out the stock killed for local consumption is a» healthy as that for export. In that connection Mr. Gilrnth mentions that in ono borough at least an abattoir was oponed last year it is strongly maintained by tho inhabitants Uiat there has boon a marked improvement in the class of meat supplied, while, on tho other hand, in confirmation of tho statement that public aJvittoirs are necessary to prevent tho possibility of diseased carcases being sold for human consumption, tho following extract from a report made by ono of tli* Veterinarians ia of eotno moment ;— "I understand that tho premises used by Mr. are still in tho eamo condition as described in tho several reports by Mr. ' and myself. lam also credibly informed that at this slaughterhouse only rcoontly tho slaughterman, while drawing a carcase, found tho internal organs so affected with tuberculosis that ho was unable to get them out, and, on going to the owner and explaining the matter, was told to get them out somehow, as ho could not afford to lose tho carcase." "Ouo of tho mo&t satisfactory features in connection with the erection of abattoirs {the Chief Veterinarian proceeds to remark) lias boon the fact that architects and local authorities have tiiken full ndwmtago of tho Department's offer of assistance in the preparation of plans, etc. Much better results have thereby boon achieved at a considerable saving of expenditure to tho communities interested, f.or in ovory inuUinco where this aaswta-nco has beem given it has resulted in a mluctiou of tho estimated cost of tho abattoir buildings. As is well known, the Act requires that tho sites of now abattoirs sJwll be approved by tho Hon. the Minister before being finally adopted. Hitherto all tho municipalities concerned — with tho exception of Auckland aitd Wellington — have found it worth their while to request this division to adviso them regarding the different sites offered or available before finally making any recommendation, for mtbmission to tho Minister." i

Tho gold returns for the colony for tho month of November totalled 'i8,2180z, vaLued at £184,831, as against 25,5150z, valued at £91,539 for tho corresponding month of last y«>ar. Tho silver returns for the past month were 84,6tJ90z, valued at £8812. A ohargo of Laving failed to provide for tho maintenance of an illegitimate child, preferred against Thomas Johnston, at tho B.M. Court this aftornoon, was dismissed by Dr. A. M'Artliur, S.M. Mr. Wilford appeared for defendant, and Mr. Herdman for prosecutrlx. Mr. John M'Leod, a single man fifty years of age, was found dead in his bunk at Martinborough shortly after midnight. He was employed casually at .clerical work by peoplo'of tho district, and was well known in the VVairarapa. Mr. J. Ridge, Into of No. 9, Mannersstreet, announces that ho hue removed to 150, Willis-stroot, having purchased the business of Messrs. John Kelly aad^Soni.

Petor Stephens, a Syrian draper, who was adjudged a bankrupt recently, is to be charged at tho S.M. Court with : (1) Failing to keep proper books of account ; (2) contracting debts without reasonable expectation of being ablo to pay for same; (3) obtaining gooda on credit, and not paying for them, with intent to dcfraHcl; (4) attempting to account for part of his stock and trade by fictitious los&e*. Theso charges wore set down for hearing boforo Dr. A. M Arthur, R.M., today. Mr. Myers, who appeared for tho Official Assignee, said he had arranged with Mr. Gray, who will appear for the defendant, for an adjournment until 11th inst. The cases were accordingly adjourned until tho dato mentioned. Three charges of theft of olothing, tools, and fowls in different parts of tho suburbs preferred against John Dome, were also adjourned until 11th inst., by which time ho. will have been dealt with by the Supreme Court on a charge of escaping from custody from tho Magiotrate'a Court. The Entertainment Party on tho White Star liner Athenic, which has created for itself a' reputation throughout the ports of New Zealand and further abroad, recently distinguished itself at Lyttelton, whfiro it gave a particularly enjoyable entertainment in aid of the Weft Lyttolton' Church Choir Fund. A similar entcrtainmont is to bo given hero in connection with tho Sailors' Rest on the 9th inst. Something exceptional ia being looked forward to. A portion at least of the very interesting illustrations of the Evening Post "Old Wellington" Christinas Number aro now procurable from boolcsellers in tho city. The remarkable demand for tho Number quickly exhausted tho very large edition printed, and there was a good deal of disappointment among those who failed to secure all tho - copies they desired. Ac it was impossible to print further copias of the completo publication, tho proprietors decided to vepublish, in tho form of post cards, a number of tho illustrations which best indicate the astoni^liing growth of tho city, and this lias now been dono. The demand for these cards is already great, and in order to avoid disappointment tluxio who deaire to aecure copies should mako their selection at the earliest conveiiient moment. Mr. VY. Helliwell, who in Fobruary of this year returned from Victoria to fill tho position of accountant in tho Wellington office of tho National Mutual Life Association, Limited, has gono to Christcliurch fia district manager of that Association. . A young man named J. M' Arthur, for whom Mr. Herdman appeared, denied at the Magistrate's Court this morning haying assaulted N, Larson, a wharf labourer, on the 14th November. Mr. Jellicoo prosecuted. Tho informant alleged that defendant astaultod him in ForresterVlane by hitting him on tho head with a bottle. The defendant stated that ho and informant had a dispute over a woman, but denied having hit him with a bottle. Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M., found dofendaut guilty, and imposed a fino of £3, with costs, in dofiuilt 14 days' imprisonment. For having procured liquor for a prohibited woman, Kate Morris was convicted and discharged with a caution. iMr. T. W. Kirk, Govornment Biologist, returned to Wellington to-day from Auckland, where he attended tbo annual conference of fruitgrower*. . Among tho passcngera aboard tho Priiw Higismund ftom Biugaporo last week was Mr. E. W. Cole, founder of Cole's Book Arcade, Melbourne, who in returning from an eight months' tour in tho Kant, including tho Philippine Islands, Hongkong, Canton, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Osaka, Java, etc. Mr. Cole, ou being interviewed, said the trip was undertaken for the purpose of making enquiries concerning tho coloured question, particularly in regard to the Alien Immigration Restriction Act. The result of his present visit has convinced b^m that a white Australia is impossible, itud tho general feeling in the East is that legislators in Australia will bo unable to carry out the wbito Australia principle. His visit was mado more on iho principles of humanity than on the principle of trade. Hia visit to Java won made for a similar purpose, and tho information he collected showod that white men could not do tho work within the tropics. A number of Japanese noblemen entertained Mr. Colo at the Maple Club during hi* slay iv Japan to express their appreciation of liis propaganda in opposition to tho policy adopted by the Labour Party.