The San Francisco call., 1895-11-24
The Board of Health and the
Butchers Meet in Joint
Council.
STRICT REGULATIONS URGED.
The Butchers Board of Trade Co.
operating With the Health
Authorities.

The activity of the butchers and health
authorities has quite alarmed the small
venders of unwholesome beef and bone
less horse.
The arrest of Florentine and Malarkey,
on whose premises in South San Francisco
the carcasses of dead horses were found,
and the apprehension of Chinese butcher
for selling diseased meat. indicate the plan
of campaign which has been outlined.
More arrests will probably follow. Mean
while the mem bers of the Butchers Board
of Trade and the market inspectors are
securing Chinatown for additional evil
dence against the ring that traffics in un-
clean meat.
Malarkey and Florentine have been
charged with slaughtering within the
prescribed limits of the City. This is the
only charge that can be placed against
them, since there is no law against the
destruction of horses that have worn out
their usefulness.
The Chinaman, whose name is Tuck
Hing, and who conducts retail butcher
business at TAG Washington street, has
been charged with selling diseased meat.
Two sides of decayed beef were found in
his cellar. ALI will be arraigned in Judge
Low court Monday.
There was an informal meeting of the
Board of Health, market inspectors and
leading butchers at DR.. Hart's Office on
Powell street yesterday afternoon. The
meeting was called to discuss the I'M
wholesome-mea question, but as there
was not quorum of the board present no
action was taken in regard to the forming
OF more stringent laws. 1t was the desire
of the legitimate butchers of the City,
headed by the Butchers Board of Trade,
to have formed such laws as would at once
protect the community and the trade from
the dealers who handled an unclean
article. Another special meeting OF the
board will be called for Wednesday even
ing to hear the suggestions OF the butchers.
1--WE are anxious to aid the health au-
thorities in every possible way" said
President Hammond of the Butchers
Board of Trade. after the meeting yeSter-
day, "aS it is to the interests of the trade
that unwholesome meat should not find its
wsy to this market. l feel that the Board
of Health has not done justice to itself, the
public or the butchers in the appointing OF
market inspectors. There are only four of
them, when there should not be less than
| eight. OF the four there are three that
have absolutely no knowledge whatever of
meats-not sufficient to determine the sex
of an animal, to say nothing of its whole
someness, so il leaves this whole City prac-
tically in the hands of one man-Ben
| Davis. There should be more competent
| inspectors.
At present prices of beef steer four
years old brings from $35 to $50, according
| to size and quality. These cattle are raised
and fed for beef cattle and in no case are
| they raised for dairy purposes.
! The butchers of this City are probably
more anxious than even the consumers of
meat that the traffic in unwholesome meat
of all kinds be stopped, not only because
Of do int, ,foh hy,ci
man would have in handling only first
| class goods and the danger that might be
incurred both to himself or to his trade by
the use of other than wholesome meats,
but still stronger reason exists. Let me
explain it.
There is not a slaughter house in Butch
| ertOwn, whether it be of cattle, sheep or
hogs. that does not have from one to six
or more people continually buying and
shipping to them stock of various kinds
from shipping and feeding stations. The
| majority of the firms own or have large
interests in immense ranches where cattle
and sheep are fed for this market. There
has all ways been an abundant supply of
| this stock, as the low prices now ruling
show, and the quality is equal to any meat
| in the world. To produce this meat the
| costs are high. Freight alone from some
| points costs So head.
| sin the vicinity of the City and in the
| counties bordering on the bay are numer-
| Gus dairies that must, of course, keep
great many cows. As these cows become
old and improbable or diseased they are
replaced by younger and fresher stock
| from the country by regular dealers, who
take in part payment the old cows.
"These dealers in no case sell them in
Butchertown, but kill them or have them
killed and disposed of as they can, and
from this source comes the principal part
Of hot bni iS fo
the City. In case some of these cows are
unable to walk they are slaughtered at
home and the meat is brought here and
sold, principally to the Chinese butchers,
who, in turn, sell to the poorer white peo-
pie and to cheap restaurants.
GAS the Butchers Board of Trade re.
fused to sell any more to the Chinese
some six months ago, and does not allow
any of its members to pun chase from them,
the Chinese butchers have difficulty in
getting anything xceptinferior meat"
DEW ADDrD cOrruyCrr1