SOCKBURN ABATTOIRS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6270, 25 July 1907, Page 5

SOCKBURN ABATTOIRS

THE "PRESS” REVELATIONS. THE, PREMIER TAKING ACTION. REPORT TO BE OBTAINED. In the House yesterday, Mr Davey (Christchurch East) asked, without notice, whether the attention of the Government had been called to a telegram from Christchurch appearing in that morning’s "New Zealand Times,” disclosing a disgusting condition of affairs in connection with tho Sockburn abattoirs, and whether the Government would secure a departmental report on the matter? Sir Joseph Ward replied that he had read the article referred to, and it indicated : a very dreadful state of affairs. He thought it so important to consumers of meat that an independent report on the abattoirs would be procured. THE CHARGES DENIED. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr G. Pay ling), who is at present in Wellington, was yesterday asked for an opinion on the revelations. Mr Payling gave on absolute and uncompromising contradict tion to the whole story. He said that the abattoirs were under the charge of a Government veterinary surgeon, and there was also ‘ an Abattoir Committee*, which made frequent visits of inspection. All meat, too, must be stamped with the Government stamp before removal.

As to tli© charge concerning the hanging of carcases in the abattoir, where they are splashed. with . filth and blood, Mr ,Payling said that the carcases did not hang long, as they were there only to await removal by the contractor. They would also be hung quit© high enough' to be out of reach. All refuse was taken away daily, and could not possibly remain long enough to be a nuisance. Although carcases were hung in the killing chamber, they were in such a position as to render bespattering with blood a practical impossibility. The buildings, also, were ou the most modern scale, and their construction weis especially* conducive to cleanliness; * , The sides of the building were mad© of lattice work. and the consequent draught quickly cooled all. carcases. ' . Mr Payling ; added that it was the, common opinion that the abattoir buildings were absolutely above reproach. All meat was thoroughly inspected and carefully handled. The abattoirs have often been inspected by qauilfied experts, and there has never been a complaint lodged against them. On the other hand, they had often been the Ob' ject of high praise. - s „.- MR REAKES REPLIES MISLEADING AND ALARMIST. : : t , STATEMENTS. Interviewed on the New Plymouth* ; Wellington express train last evening/io < regard to the allegations made in regard to the Sockburn abattoirs by a reporter of the Christchurch 'Tress, r ‘l Mr C.J. * Roakes, Acting-Chief Veterinarian, said**" he was astounded when, after reading the ■> r first paragraph of the ‘Tress'* report—which it was stated the reporter madd‘^ f ‘ v some revolting the evidonco upon which this most eeri- ; >• ous statement was based was of such a//y flimsy character. One would gather, he .‘i said,” that the reporter considered it necessary that carcases should be hung at an. inconvenient and impracticable height from the floor. As a matter of fact, the rails in the Christchurch abattoir were higher than those, in most other abattoirs. . As regards the hanging of dressed cases in the same apartment ' killing was going on, he would like to know what tangible objection could be raised to it. This was the method adopted.in some of the very best Continental abattoirs, where the practical application of sanitary science had reached : its highest level. There, was nothing insanitary in a freshly slaughtered beast, especially when,.as in the Christchurch abattoir and other modem abattoirs the paunch, intestines/etc.> were'quickly removed to another apartment; Then in regard' to the remark—'the £ * "fearsome-looking: mass of . • congealed . blood nearly an inch deep”—in cold ' weather particularly blood would not run freely over a cold concrete floor, and does-, congeal. The blood of one bullock under such conditions might collect to o depth of "nearly** one inch, that-was so much of it as did not manage to run directly into the drain provided for the purpose. The rest ' would have i! to be, and was, swept with .but little delay into the drain, and pent onwards? to its proper receptacle. When, work was in active progress an abattoir could not ht» made as pr«»sentable-as;as.drawing-room. Cattle slaughtered for human food must bo bled, and, ;in any case, there was noth- ■>.' ing insanitary in iresh blood. It would • be as reasonable to suggest that fresh * meat was insanitary 1 lu municipal abattoirs on the Continent it was by no moans an uncommon sight to see anaemic men and women present for the purpose of drinking the blood of newly slaughtered animal •- ' , , Then, as to the concrete-paved yards, animal excreta, etc., would naturally not get to the drains by gravitation, There was, however, euffipient fall at Sockburn to enable liquid material to get away at once, and th© pplid matter was cleared - away quite as often as required. ■. The unpaved pens were only, used when the others could hot accommodate the whole of the stock on the premises, find these were to he paved. , , , , , As regards the : want of . fresn.wator flushing, there was plenty of water W* plenty of hose wherewith to distribute itOn the occasion pf his last visit to the abattoir, six weeks ago, said }ir iteakej, the place was thoronghly clean and well kept. It was, to him, extraordinary that such misleading P-ud alarmist statements should have got into circulation, especially when the striving after eflepl was so obyious throughout. THE COMMEXTS~OE TEfS “PBESB," to Jhe “N.Z. Tiroee,") CHEISTCHOECH, July 34. The “Press” this morning dealing ; editorially with the Christchurch abattoirs says:— “We have always admitted and indeed • urged that the killing of meat for public consumption ought to be under municipal control.. With this end in view an Act of Parliament was passed prohibiting the use of private slaughterhouses, and the Christchurch City Council went to an expenditure of no less than .£20,000 to provide public abattoirs where it was fondly hoped the stock intended for public consumption would bo slaughtered in the most humane and up-to-date style. The carcases, would be carefuilv ihsxiected and only perfectly sound meat, sept throughout under the most cleanly and hygienic conditions, would be allowed to be sold for the food of the people. "How far has this ideal been realised f The reader, anxious for information, will find the answer if he roads the article which we print in another column, but we advise no one with a very sensitive stomach, especially if ; he is a meat eater, to enter upon the task. We have nothing to say against the inspection of - the carcases with a view to condemning those that are diseased. Bo far as wo are aware this * part, of th© , work may be efficiently performed. It is dear, however, from what our reporter, saw . yesterday that the stock are slaughtered ; and the meet is handled and cooled under conditions which are not .PAly nauseating and indeed revolting, but a. menace to public health. VV© have no hesitation in saying that if the some condition of tilings had been found m a private slaughterhouse - under the

.Tgimo there would at once have been in outcry for Government supervision md municipal control. With both these panaceas t>upp*osed to be t>o perfect in their action, we find stock being slaughtered amidst conditions ot filth and orutality, dogs being allowed to roam at will among the carcases intended lor public consumption, after first dabbling m the filth of the slaughtering pens, and meat itself being hung up to cool nml ‘sweeten' in an atmosphere reminiscent of fcoinc of the most giuetome

pages of Mr Upton Sinclair's 'Jungle.' “ What makes the condition of affaire all the more inexcusable is that wo know at the freezing companies works the slaughtering and other processes are carried out in thr* most cleanly fashion. Then- is certainly now more reason than »vor to regret that these companies were not allowed to undertake the slaughter* ing for local consumption, as was at one time proposed. Whether the municipal works were badly designed in the first instance, or whether they have been allowed to fall into their present condiviou for want of proper maintenance and supervision, it is not for us to Bay. What is abundantly dear is that the fvtati 1 of affairs now revealed reflects disgrace on the public )>ody responsible for io occurrence. To erect these works tho citizens have had to make themselves liable for a debt of A-U.OOO, and every joint of meat they buy costs them more than it did under tho old system. They gladly paid the increase, believing chut they wore getting better meat, slaughtered under more wholesome conditions, but we are afraid that in this, ns in some other respects, thev have been living in a fool’s paradise." THE ALLEGATIONS DENIED.

Seen by a reporter, and asked whether ho cartd to discuss the disclosures made by Uio I'rec.s "in connection with the condition 01 tho city uoattoir, Councillor W. 11. Cooper (chairman of tho Abattoir Commiiuo; conieiuad himself with giving a general denial to tho allegations, iic stated, however, that it was his intention to have a special report prepared by the Government inspector, ihis woulu be subnutcea to the Council in duo course, anu woulu then bo available for the public. THE MANAGED VLtAVS. Mr i-L S. Kyle, manager of tho abattoirs, being reopousinic xor the inspeclion of Uie meat alter sluugium, explained to u ** Tress ' repiasentativ© thi© afternoon that tuo circumstance of dogs roaming about beneath the carcases or beei in the slaugnUiing apartment at the time of the coinmi&sioner'e visn on -luesday was a most iuuorvunate one. it was a stringent rule of the establishment, and one wiucu lie endeavoured to have strictly emoicea, that no dogs should be permitted upon the premises. “ When eo many dogs are working about tne place aosisung to yard tuo a keep and cattle,'' ivu- rvylo continued, " it is dimeuit to keep them from straying innoois accidentally, out, at tne same time, everybody connected with tho establishment is aware o-i xuy rule that they should be kept outsiue, and this ovt-ryoody strives* to see carried out. in reference to the inspection of the meat, X may say this work is accomplished as thoroughly as in any part of the colony." Lhjcuooing the condition of the pens and races. Air Kyle said the commuteo should never have erected tno urick fences. They were in the same condition when he took charge as now. "I pointed this out to the committee over a year ago, and asked them repeatedly i to remedy tho matter. The concreting of tho sheep pens and of hail oi tm> cattle pens has been done since I came here. My assistant and 1 draughted rough plans for the extension oi tho pens, and the committee were always going to erect them." ANOTHER WITNESS'S TESTIMONY. Mr H. N. Zouch, inspector for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, volunteers tho following statement in support of the stricture passed by the ~X ''re6&> ' upon the arrangements at the city abattoir: “I would go oven further than your reporter. We (the S.JAC.A.) have repeatedly brought before the Council the question of the general management of tho abattoir, and the Council just as repeatedly has refused to do anything. "Eirst, in regard to tho state of tho paddocks which the animals aro kept: Tho Council has always declined responsibility, on the plea of its having let contracts for slaughtering. The abattoir manager has told me repeatedly that several improvements pointed out by him as being necessary have been disregarded and never carried out. I myself have heard the butchers complain ,of tho disgraceful state of tho yards. "Mr Kyle, the manager of the abattoirs, has often pointed out that his authority is circumscribed. All he has to do is to pass the moat, but he has no control over the men, who are engaged by the contractors. It is not as if he held direct control from the Council. So you see how difficulty his position is. When the Council sees its way clear to put tho men under him he will be able to see that the place is properly cleaned up. There are so many contractors that the two men killing bullocks side by side frequently quarrel as to who should dean up the boundary of the floor space between them. “Then, again, we have frequently drawn the attention of the Abattoirs Committee to tho fact that tho pigs on the place require bedding. I was promised that litter would be provided, but as a matter of fact the unfortunate creatures, whose plight in this cold weather can easily b© imagined, had,nothing f*ven them. Mr Kyle does his test, and was glad to notice that no question as to his efficiency was raised. The duties as meat inspector are most satisfactorily performed. I think everyone will admit that." BUTCHERS INTERVIEWED. A "Press" reporter thi® evening interviewed two of the leading butchers of the city in reference to the disclosures. The Mayor's statement to d Wellington interviewer that anything requiring attention was promptly dealt with was answered by them. "It was more than eighteen mouths ago that the butchers pointed out to the then Abattoirs Committee that branch blood drains leading from h© front of each of the four pithing pens to tho present Twain blood drain should be put m. If this had been done the blood would have got away before it had time to congeal. That was a reasonable enough thing to ask, and no great cost was involved. Yet nothing was done." The contract slaughtermen complained of the same thing® as the reporter. They agreed 'thoroughly that some provision should be made for hanging and cooling tho carcases in a separate apartment from that in which tho slaughtering is earned out, he remarked. At the Auckland abattoirs as far back ns twenty-seven years ago the need for this wa© scon. There the carcase© as thev wore dressed were pushed out of the slaughterhouse through a door into a separate chamber. They bore out what had been ©aid in every particular, anil pointed to a number of essentials that should be attended to in regard to tho pons, the handling of offal, etc. How do you view the prospects of «n independent inquiry as prom feed by tho Premier?

"Wo would 'welcome the strictest inquiry. Nothing has been exaggerated in the slightest. Wo butchers 'hov.-* good *causo to feel aggrieved, and it is time something was done."