THE CHRISTCHURCH ABATTOIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 26

THE CHRISTCHURCH ABATTOIRS.

A DISGUSTING STATE OF AFFAIRS. CHRISTCHUBCH, July 23. A Press reporter who visited the" municipal abattoirs at Sockburn to-day made some revolting discoveries. He found that awaiting 1 delivery the necks of the carcases of beef were- banging within 3ft of the floor, and at the time of the reporter's visit a couple of sheep or cattle dogs were running at will beneath the carcases, actually brushing the necks of some of the larger bodies with their tails. The carcase* are- hung for the purpose of cooling in the flame apartment as that in which the actual killing is done. The throat is cut, the blood gushes out upon a cold concrete floor, but owing to the arrangement the blood cannot get away, and consequently congeals into a fearsomelooking mass. A huge pool of this revolting substance lay nearly an inch deep on the floor at the time of the reporter's inspection, and as one unfortunate creature crashed out of the pithing pen, on to the floor it kicked and struggled, sending showers of congealed blood in all directions spattering even a carcase hung up in tho ■last stages of dressing. The men have to slush through the patches and poola «f blood in pursuit of their duties, much, of it naturally getting upon their hands, and thence to the newly-3kinned carcase upon whioh they are operating. Outside, the pens and race for both cattle and sheep Appeared to be inconvenient. In regard to tbe latter, there seemed to b& great difficulty in getting the cheep up the inclined planeto the slaughtering floor. Most of the pens are pared with concrete, and are either flat or else have a folUrom the •entre that is imperceptible. The sheep •w»ititig daughter are naturally th\w con-

fined for some considerable time, and those seen yesterday were in. a pitiable plight. The flooring of the pens was covered +o the depth of over half an inch with liquid filth,- in which mo6t of the cheep had lain. There are surface drains in plenty surrounding the pens, but the filth eomehow does not seem to escape into them. Yesterday these gutters were standing half full of dark, evil-looking liquid in a stagnant condition. The want of fresh water flushing was apparent everywhere. It was manifestly impossible for the men to dress in a. thoroughly cleanly and wholesome condition sheep whose legs and bodies were bedaubed with such filth a 6 was to be seen. Most of the cattle pens were paved with concrete; but here, again, useless gutters j were in evidence, and there was an abun- | dance of filth upon the flooring. But the paved pens were absolute cleanliness itself compared with the almost indescribable condition of the unpaved cattle pens. In these cattle were seen standing over their hoofs and nearly up to their hocks in filth churned up into a fermenting morass. When the unfortunate creatures are wild or are sought to be driven up the race, they surge and plunge through the hideous quagmire, carrying masses of the filth into tha slaughtering 3epartment. The chairman of the Abattoirs Committee (Mr W. H. Cooper) explained that extensive repairs (including concrete flooring) I to the different pens and races were in contemplation by the council. These repairs, when effected, would dissipate most of the present grounds for complaint. The other shortcomings, he further explained, might also be overcome without serious difficulty. AN INDIGNANT DENIAL. WELLINGTON, July 24. Mr Payling, Mayor of Christchurch. in, an interview with • a Post 'representative, gave an indignant denial to the statements made in the Press regarding the municipal abattoirs at Sockburn. These abattoirs, he explained, are under the sole management of a Government veterinary surgeon, and there i 9 also a- committee whose special •duty it is to deal with matters connected •with the abattoirs. This committee makefrequent visite of inspection, and everything requiring attention is promptly dealt with. All the meat that is killed must bo stamped with the Government brand before it can be taken away for consumption. The buildings are constructed on modern and the best approved principles, special care being paid to cleanliness. Mr Payling asserts that every care is taken to keep tho abattoirs clean and wholesome. Since they have been established they have been inspected from time to time by qualified experts, who have spoken in terms of praise of the arrangements. STATEMENT BY MR REAKES. ' Interviewed this evening, Mr C J. Reakes (Acting Chief Veterinarian in the Department of Agriculture) said that he was astounded to find such serious statements as had been made about the Sockburn abattoirs, grounded on such flimsy evidence. He would like to know whet tangible objection could be raised- t« tta hanging of

dressed carcases in the killing apartment. Then, about congealed blood, it had to be remembered that when work was in active , progress a slaughter-house could Mot be as presentable as a drawing room. When he last visited the abattoirs, six weeks ago, the place was thoroughly clean and well < kept. He was amazed at such alarmist statements being put into circulation. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS. i CHRISTCHURCH, July 25. I To-day Councillor Cooper, chairman of ' the Abattoir Committee (accompanied by the City Surveyor), Councillor Forrester | (another member of the Abattoir Commit- ' tee), and Councillor Sorensen, visited the abattoirs. Councillor Soren6en, who is the chairman of the Sanitary Committee, was interviewed shortly after his return by a I representative of the Press. He stated that he had seen nothing to justify the sensational statements made in the article which appeared in Wednesday's Press, though he admitted that some repairs and alterations were necessary. In certain parts of the premises the floor of the place where the cattle were killed required grading, and email channels should be formed in it to allow the blood to run off quickly into the drain. The facilities for re- , moving the offal were defective, and should > be improved. Out of doore the condition . i of the paddock and the pens where not ; cemented wae bad, and ought to be| remedied at once. As to the cooling place ' for the carcases, nobody who knew anything about abattoirs would find fault with it. There must, of necessity, be more or , less mess where beasts were being killed, j i but the place where the meat was hung up was quite away from all that, and was exceedingly well ventilated. The piffkilling department wajs -perfectly clean, and was equal to tho best that ho had seen elsewhere. The following 1 letter has been addressed 'to the editor of the Press by the Canterbury secretary of the Master Butchers' Association: — "I am directed by the executive of the Canterbury Master I Butchers' Association to state that, while it believes the statements contained in the Press with reference to the condition of the municipal abattoir are, in the main, true, it desires to give publicity to the conviefcion ti\a.-b tii-c f^Lulls ar-e entirely due to the imperfect planning and construction [ of the abattoir, and not, as «ugcrested by the member for Christchurcb North, to , laxity on the part of the manasrer, Mr Kyle. Mr Kyle is regarded by Ihe butchers as a conscientious and capable manager, and they are determined he shall not be made a scapegoat in the interest of those really responsible, whoever they may Drove to be. As far back as March. 1906, re- | presentativee sf the Master Butchers' Asso- | eiation met the Abattoir Committee at Sockburn, and pointed out the urgent need of certain improvements, which, if carried out at the time, would not have provided the Press with such excellent cony. It j is only fair to the manager to add that he was in complete accord with the re- ; presentations of the butchers, but, as he | has no control over such matters, ho ' was unable to do more thnn press the butchers' claims upon the Abattoir Comjnittee. — (Signed) H. G. Knight, secretary Canterbury Master Butchers' Aeso , I eiation." I