IN AN ABATTOIRS. A KILLING DEMONSTRATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 47, 25 February 1908, Page 4

IN AN ABATTOIRS. A KILLING DEMONSTRATION.

CHEWING V. SMOKING TOBACCO. [By Telhgbaph. — Special to The Post.] CHEISTCHUECH, This Day. Yesterday an exposition of an almosL new system of slaughtering was made at the Christchurch Abattoirs. The Royal Humane Society has had made an instrument \ consisting .of a heavy handle on the' end of which a large calibre pistol' is lired at right angles. This is loaded with a standard cartlidge, and being placed on the forehead of the beast where the skull is thinnest "the pistol is/ fired and the brain penetrated. Mr. W. H. Zouch, the inspector of the Christchurch branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty, used the pistol, and several members of the society and of the -City Council Abattoir Committee, with Mr. G. W. Crayton (Government, Veterinarian), and Dr. Gow, were present. Tho pithing method was also shown, and a demonstration was given of the Jewish method of killing sheep and cattle. As an instrument, to which Mr. Zouch was almost completely unused, the pistol proved in one case slow to handle because 4he beast moved every time it touched him.' It was absolutely effective, however, when used. The Jewish method of slaughter Consists in severing ! the blood; vessel while leaving tho j nervous, system intact, so that the blepd- , ing shall be as complete as possible. Those who saw the operation." were not • pleased by it. ■ # j An interesting point was raised during j the visit. One of thoso present ques- ; tioned ths wisdom of tho rule forbidd- j ing the men to smokts -while nl v/ork, i and providing for :i quarter of an hour • in the two ' halves of the day of • '"smoke-oh!" He said chat he considered ; it would bo a great deal better to allow ! the men to smoke \Vhen they* chose, j The remarks 'at orico brought forth a j storm of questions, to which his reply j was: "If y^jV' don't let them smoko ■' they'll chew ;f;j#en'jthiit chow sf)it every- ,' wherer" Later 'hft said : "The breath of a man that smokes may be. distaste?- j "ful to a lady, but the breath, of ono I thai chews is oHehsivo to his chum." The stataiftent was', met with doubt as to whether t(jo rule had such an effect : in the abattoir, but the first speaker , fiaid that he ' had ,ssen men chew tobacco. There and .then he called in one of the officials of tho abattoir, who ! said that a number of the men chewed and spat about whenever it was necessary, and that was frequently, and wherever thjpy were. '-'I've had a lot of experience with men that chew tobacco, ' he said, "some of it on board ship.. Men that chew simply don't cafe where they spit, and they're always cpitting. It's a great deal worse- than smoking." Councillor Cooper, chairman of the Abattoirs Committee, said that the rule was instituted not on account of any risk of fire, but because it was fclfc that there would be a risk of tobacco falling on to tho meat. He understood that it was a rule customary in all such places. The discussion thafc followed was to some extent flippant, and touched upon the merits of smoke as a disinfectant, and its use in the curing of hams. Tho members of the committee expressed considerable astonishment at what they had heard.