INSPECTION OF MEAT.

Southland Times, Issue 22956, 31 July 1936, Page 9

INSPECTION OF MEAT.

To the Editor.

Sir,—Will you kindly allow me a little space in the columns of your paper to ask the health officers why all the meat sold in Invercargill and other cities has to be killed and inspected at the city abattoirs, but in the country towns anything can be killed and sold? Does a bit of suet mean the trimmings of mutton chops rolled in the middle of the skirting fat of a sheep at 3d. a lb? And is it a small matter to see a cow hanging up that would have calved in a few weeks, or a ewe that has had a dead lamb or a bullock with a lung—oh! don’t mention it. Beautiful meat to look at, but I have seen too much to let this go on and know what a risk the public is running.. If eveiy dairy herd was inspected, as in England, it might be a little better. You have no idea of what we eat in the country towns. At the sales the city butchers are penalized to a great extent, because they can only buy guaranteed cattle, but a country butcher can get a cow for about a couple of pounds for he knows well enough when the stock inspector will be on his rounds. When a butcher employs an outside slaughterman to kill for him, he has to be a bit careful, but if one kills his own cattle, look out! A man on a town milk run is liable at any time and at an yplace to be stopped by the inspector to have a sample taken of his milk and if it is not up to the standard he gets a bit of blue paper. Yet the country butcher gets away with any stuff at the public’s risk. I have heard several people say, “Then meat will be dearer, but we shall know what we are eating and so we won’t mind.” Kindly help us, for are not our lives as valuable to us as yoars is to you? Get all our meat passed by an inspector.— Yours, etc., ONE WHO KNOWS. Winton, July 25, 1936.