The evening times., 1896-07-25
C|TY's SLAUGHTER HOUSE
Municipal Abattoir May Be
Established.
HEALTH OFFICE INDoRsEs 1T
Some of the butchers WIN Object,
as They Have Good Private Places.
VIII Facilitate Inspection of Meat
and Abate Many Nuisances-The
baltimore Slaughter House.

Among them nicipalimprovements under
Consideration by the Commissioners, and
warmly advocated by DR.. Woodward, of the
health office, is the estabIishm ent and sup.
port OF municipal abattoir, or slaughter
house, similar to those in Paris and other
large cities.
AT the present time the District butchers
are governed by the old law which directs
that they shall hot keep animals intended
FOR slaughter within seventy-five feet of
any dwelling house without the consent OF
the owner and occupant OF the dwelling.
There is how model private abattoir at
Benning, where someof the butchers slaugh-
ter their stock under private terms with the
proprietors. But the large majority for
SOME reason object to slaughtering at the
Benning house.
In the last report of the health office
mention is made OF this objection, and two
reasons advanced as to its cause one being
that possibly there is objection to the
terms, and the other that the butchers
do not like the idea of slaughtering in q
house controlledby the same business.
FAvORs AN ABATTOIR.
Dr. Woodward advocated municipal
abattoir where all the butchers could have
the same slaughtering privileges.
Some time ago bill was under consid-
Grafton to compel all Washington butchers
tosiaughter at the Benning abattoir, but,
said DR.. woodward to a Times represen-
tative yesterday, that would be granting,
monopoly to the Bcnning firm.
Il believe in the establishment of n
general municipal abattoir, because it will
be advantageous 10 tie butchers themselves,
and, again, the inspection of meats would
be greatly facilitated, as in the abattoir
all live stock could be inspected prior to
slaughter and needless cruelty in the
slaughter of animals could also be pre-
vented''
The suggestion has been made that an
abattoir be established similar 10 tile one
in Baltimore, where all the butchers hold
stock In the concern, and a city inspector
has it under his immediate supervision. At
the Benning abattoir butcher pays to the
company a small cash fee and in addition
grauts them all the hides and refuse fat.
In the Baltimore abattoir tiIis material is
sold aud the profits reckoned In the gain
of the abattoir company and divided equally
among the butchers holding stock.
THE BUTCHERS WHO OPPOSE.
There are, however, in Washington some
butchers who, under no circumstances,
would desire municipal abattoir. A num-
ber of the butchers have excelleutly-ar.
ranged slaughter houses of their own. Loef-
fler's, on the Seventh street road, is a
model private abattoir, embodyiug all the
cold storage arrangements necessary. He,
for one, could not be expected TO enter into
an agreement for a municipal abattoir, or il
one was established; be expected TO aban-
don his own for tile use OF the ne " one.
DR.. Woodwardsaid that he had no knowl-
edge that the Commissioners had under
considerati on his recommendation 1t
would take good deal OF money for the
proper construction OF an abattoir, and
he had not really heard OF the idea since
he embodied it in bis report.
1T would be greatly for the benefit
OF the residents of the District" he added,
land consumers would get better meat"