OUR MEAT AT HOME.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 78710, 11 January 1904, Page 4

OUR MEAT AT HOME.

CQJJDEMNEb CARCAi3ES.

IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS.

The votes of £5000 by Parliament during the Hessian jus,o closed for udver. tising New Zealand meat in the Home markets lends importance to aoine recommendations which have just been made by the Chief Government Veterinarian. Some time ago a report was circulated throughouc the co'on.y that a nmnber of carcases of sheep bearing a Government veterinarian's stap?p bad been cpndemned •at tue iSmichfield market as unfit for human consumption. A report'was received from Mr. H. C. Cameron the Produce Commissioner, to the effect that 6ixty-one legs and loins out of a cargo of 441 haur.ches had been condemned and destroyed. Mr. Cameron mude a personal examination of the con. demned moat, and was satisfied that its unsatisfactory condition was not due- to damage in transit, and i s loss had therefore 10 be wholly borne by the shippers. The meat had labels attached showing that it had bten killed at certain works, and ihe labels bore the signature of a Government veterinary officer. Mr. •Cameron urged the necessity of preventing shipments of such poor-duality muijion leaving the colony, as being highly detrimental to the good class of trade the oolony has established in England. On making inquiries, the Chief Government Veterinarian ascertained that these , sheep were passed as fie for human consumption after slaughter by a veterinary officer, in whom he and the public also had the fullest confidence. In reply to Mr. Gilruth's communication to him regarding this matter, he maintained that tlje haunches in question were Bound, healthy meat, and were of mixed quality 1 aad breed, a number being from light I merino carcja'ses, which arp dark colour ! when thawed. He pomted out, further, that the portion of the shipment which was not condemned was 'sold at a price regarded at the time as thoroughly satisfactory, thus showitijg that the line as a whole was a goo ( 4 one. Reporting on thja liaattflr to, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Q^jruth remarks :— ff > > The forego jag shows the responsibility which rests on the officers of the division, and I cannot dwell too strongly on the disabilities under wbich they labour. They must pass meat which is free from disease (as defined), and wbicb, in their opinion, is fit lot human codsumption. I am personally fully satisfied that every pare is taken both iti the -overeats of tbe consumer, wbiiilier here or abroad, and of the producer oDd exporter. But with the omployraent of paper tags simply tied to tbe hind leg, and the possibility of irane-

the carcase itself, and tbe failure to adopt a proper system of grading, there are few or no adventitious safeguards. Further, meat when dressed and hung may look perfectly fit for human consumption and jbe definitely so, yet after being frozen for two months and thawed at the end of that period, under conditions which are far from satisfactory, may, if lean, often appear unenticing, and eyeD objectionable, when it is only limp and flabby from the want of fat to give it the necessary 1 set. 1 In Smithfield market, London, I have personally observed lean meat in this condition on thawing. And in that market there are no scientifically-trained inspectors constantly attending. From all this, it is not to be understood that I consider that meat whioh will tbaw badly should be exported. On the contrary, I am emphatically of opinion it should not be exported. The law, however, offers no adequate means of preventing its export." To improve the position, the Chief Veterinarian makes the following recommendations : - (1) The grading of export meat by a Government officer ; (2) that the exportation of any meat below a certain grade be prohibited ; (3) the impression of a registered and indelible brand on at- least each quarter of every carcase; (4t {he establishment of a Government Veterinary Officer of the qolony at Smitbfield, who would report upon all meat arriving, and so enable us to have a oheok at both ends.

Were these recommendations adopted, Mr. Gilruth is positive the result would be greatly beneficial to the meat exportets and to the colon y as a wholf .