The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1898. THE BUTCHERS AND THE ABATTOIR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9383, 9 March 1898, Page 2

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1898. THE BUTCHERS AND THE ABATTOIR.

It seems Wanganui is not the only place where a section of the butchers have kicked against complying with the provisions of the Abattoir Act. At Dnnodin the City Council has erected splendid public abattoirs at a cost of £11,000, where all meat intended to be sold in the city must be killed and inspected by the official inspector. But this evidently does not suit all the butchers, of Dunedin, thirteen of whom applied to the Roslyn Borough Council for permission to have their stock killed by slaughtering firm at Brockville, provided that the Council appointed a competent man as inspector. The Roslyn Council Ml in with the proposal, and took a guarantee from the applicants indemnifying it for the outlay in paying the salary of an inspector, for which position it is now advertising for applicants. Commenting on this action of the Ros!yn Borough Council the Otago Daily Times says :—": — " As the City of Dunedin has just provided abattoirs, which will shortly be opened for public use, and as these abattoirs were expressly intended to put an end to a condition of things that the public mind revolted fronl, it is necessary to consider the position 1 ... Now, the city,by a deliberate vote of the ratepayers, after due consideration, has decided, that it is necessary that all the meat for consumption shall pass through tho abattoirs after inspection before and after being killed. With that intention £11,000 has been expended, and the object will now bo to a certain extent defeated if the project we have mentioned is carried out. Is the City Council, as representing the ratepayers whose money Is at stake, and the public whose health is concerned, prepared to submit to this? We trust not, and we hope that by every means in its power the council will endeavour to enforce obedience to the almost unanimous wish of the citizens. Whether the council has the power to do so or not is, of course, a question for it? legal advisers. Subsection 10 of section 81 of the Act of 189-1 gives power to any local authority to make bye-laws ' for prescribing the conditions subject to which meat from beyond the district over which tho local authority has jurisdiction may be brought for sale or consumption within such district, provided that Ho local authority shall have power to prohibit within its boundaries the sale of meat which has been killed in accordance with the provisions of this Act, and has been inspected and passed as sound by the inspector of such local authority in the manuer piovided by this Act.' This seems to us to give the City Council the right to prohibit the sale of all meat except that which has been passed by its own inspector, and such was the evident intention of the Act. It is difficult to understand why the Roslyn Borough Council should lend itself to an attempt to defeat the wish of the Dunedin citizens. The inspector will be practically in the pay of the butchers, and they can discharge him at any time by withholding their contribution to his salary. The Borough Council itself has not enough interest in the matter to justify an outlay of £200 per annum on its account. It may seem hard that a butcher or a slaughterman shall not be permitted to earn a livelihood in the manner which suits him best, but it is the consumer who has the right to dictate the conditions under which his food shall be prepared. Iftheconsumeris willing to pay for the precautions deemed essential the provider must give way." From the above it will be seen that there is a very strong objection on the part of some of the Dunedin butchers to submit their stock to efficient official inspection at the public abattoir and a des re to appoint their own inspector, who would naturally be very chary of condemning his employers' animals, so long as they were not too badly diseased to pass muster after a little skilful trimming when slaughtered. The number of animals condemned at the Wanganui public abattoir since it opened has been a heavy tax on the butchers who have had their meat killed there and a big handicap, as against a trade opponent who, so far, has defied the Borough Council, and is still selling meat within the borough boundaries without a license. How long is this to go on ? In the interests of the public health the Borough Council should enforce its bye-'aw on the subject without further delay.

The Was Cloud, at present dark and ominous, will vanish when all nations learn the value of Ogden's Guinea Gold Cigarettes. The old pipe of peace will vanish, and be replaced by the favorite mild and fragrant smoke. Ogden's Guinea Gold Cigarettes are obtainable everywhere in packets of 10 for 6d. Mr James E. Ferrell, of Burnt House W. Va., has discarded all other diarrhoea medicines and now handles only Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera and. Diarrhoea Remedy. He has used it in his family and sold it to his customers for years, and has no hesitation in saying that it is the bebt remedy for colic and diarrhoea he has ever known. It not only gives relief, but effects a permanent euro. Jt is also pleasant and safe to take, making it an ideal remedy for bowel complaints. For sale by H, M, Gatenby, Chemist,