Page:Description of the Abattoirs of Paris.djvu/20

16 however, he thought had been taken up with more spirit in the provincial towns than in London.

A very interesting report had been published by a Commission from the late French Government, which had visited London, as well as most of the principal cities of Europe, in order to collect information on this subject. In that report, the Commissioners commented somewhat severely, but courteously, upon the actual state of the butchers' trade in London, and made many interesting remarks on the subject.

The great opposition to any alteration in their present system, was the vested interest of those supporting it, because they were in turn supported by the system. These vested interests should be met by some strong measure of the authorities, and if the public expected to be benefited, they must adopt strong measures, to impress upon the Legislature, the necessity for the consideration of these crying evils, and of the adoption of some mode of remedying them.

Mr. thought it right to mention some objections urged by the trade against the general establishment of abattoirs in this country; these were, that it would be necessary to send their servants to the abattoirs to slaughter the cattle, and they might possibly be at some distance from their shops; that they might collect there in numbers and form bad habits; and also that the butchers would not have so well-regulated a supply of meat, as at present: if the supply was now deficient, they had but to send to their slaughter-house, and kill one or two sheep, to meet the wants of their customers; whereas under the proposed system it might be necessary to send several miles for the purpose.

There could be no doubt of these objections being eventually overcome, but they must at once be met in the proposed arrangements of any establishment, for it was essential to receive the cooperation of the butchers, which could only be obtained by meeting their views liberally.

Professor explained, that no persons were permitted to congregrate in, or about the abattoirs of Paris, excepting those who were actually employed there, and that the internal arrangements were so excellent, that no bad conduct would be tolerated. Paris, in addition to the general cleanliness observed in the shop, and the rapid removal of the offal, the butcher brought to his shop in the abattoir vans, excellently constructed for the purpose, only the meat which was required to be sold within a given time, whereas in London the whole live beast was brought home, although only two-thirds of it was available for food; the hides lay about, and were irregularly taken away, and the blood was collected in