NEW PLYMOUTH MEAT SUPPLY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81897, 1 December 1906, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH MEAT SUPPLY

. « IS IT WHOLESOME ? In the course of a conversation with one of the local butchers the oth"v clay, u News man e.icited same iutormation reguiding '-he conduct of operations at tnc abattoirs that should be of interest to the public, in view of tl'e complaints made by the meat inspection officer, anent tiie laches of tne butchers in the disposal and looki g after of the meat when out of the cun'tiol of the said inspection officers.

Strong complaints were made by the butcher- regarding the manner in which the inspection is carried out and the kind of methods employed. "We djro not comp.am to the inspectors about these things," said one knight of the meat-hook; "if we do, well, we run the risk of having an extiu number of animals condemned. The officer is supreme, lie only has to s.iy the beast is di-eased and out it goes. We cannot say a woid in protest. We lose money on every condemned animal. If it be a buleock our lass would run into about £3, and in the ea-e of a sheep we lu.-.u everything bur the skin. The officer lias us under the whip, and that is why we have to be careful." "Now. to get to work. Take the pig question. Every Tom, Dick and Harry who buys pigs for slaughtering delivers Hum to the abattoirs eveiy Wednesday morning. The animals 1110 dumped down at tne abattoirs in one of tne sheep pens. Sometimes you may see up to 40 head of pigs in this pen. These pigs are frequently there without food and huddled together 'just like pigs' til Thursday or Friday afternoon or evening. You know what dirty pigs aie. Nr>«v this pen in which the pigs are put is right a.ong-ide the abattoirs in the same room in '.\uic!i the meat for human consumption is hanging. If uncovered meat in the shops is liable to be affectel with microbes from the street refuse, it is reasonable to conclude that" the carca es of the sheep would be even mure ■iikely to attiact die microbes thai germinate in the pig-sty. Then, again, when the pigs are herded together in a small radius like this, tfioy arc liable to gore one another.' "Come in hero!" our infoimant continued, going into the shop and showing the pressman the carcases of a pig or two. "Ju-t see how they aie torn about." The remedy for all this, the butcher said, was to build a proper kind of pig-sty, with concrete iloor and proper appointments. The butchers had recommended it lime after time, but the officer in charge would have none of it. He went on to refer to the methods of tiro slaughtering, which he char racterised a* scandalous. Tne tripes were thrown on the slaughtering floor and trampled upon by the wcrkmen. "Come in here and I'll show you what 1 mean." Writer '.vent in and surveyed the meat, which was eoveied with filWi and quite unfit for human consumption. "And jot we butchers have to stand it all. Every tripe lias to be cut and hacked about to remove the dirt. And it is' the same with the ox tongue*,. How would you like to cat these?'' (pul.ing out the meat from the tub). "These came this morning. Would y.ou give your dog this sort of tiling to eat?" • 'The tongues looked anything but savoury. Their state can only be described as fearfully bad. Our infoimant went on to refer to the work of' idling, which he coneitlcred far from satisfactoiy. The process was unlike that practised by the ordinary run of butchers. "We call the meal 'sleepy' and 'black'; it is not like that of the properly kil.ed aiticlu."

The meal was always washed down, lie said, instead of '.viped down. Thy result was that when the butchers lcceived the moat in. wet weather it is very clammy. When it is in that condition it is quite possible- for t|ie hnccili of the streets to 'odge. on the meat. "ltcfercncc lias been made lo the dirty coats worn by the men. Who is to blame foe that? Na one else but the inspector himself. He has Hi'. 1 power to send any man who goes there convoying meal with, dirt" c.lutllina a11..nl lii» i-—' ~ ~ ■' arc any '; clothes worn, it is the fault, ire. ni the butchers, | )IU 0 f ,l)c in-l>L't-t.iv. 1 forgot to toll vou about the contents of U, l; tripe-. 'Th c stuff is a'lowed lo lie about the place for a fortnight at a time, and vou can understand how objectionable it becomes and how ' miciobe-brccl'ng such a stale of things is. The abattoirs people should not talk about the butchers' chops and methods until such time as thov improve 'he conditions of their own place, which all the butchers regard as scandalous ami Djt in Hu- interest of the hca.th of the communilv."