New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-12
MUNICIPAL ABATT0IRS.
Foreign Cities Control Strengthening
No Instance Here.

should bear the burdens of the weak. and not
please themselves" the Rev. Walter Ladlaw.
rotary of the Federation of Churches. yesterday
gave the Woman's Municipal League a detailed
account of living conditions tho neighborhood of
the abattoirs. He followed by John ]. Murphy.
secretary of the Citizens Union, who choosing as
his text the thought that civic righteousness is
essential 10 q mans a womans salvation as
spiritual righteousness spoke the extension OF
municipal control. including the NATURALIZATION of
abattors.
With 25s saloons and twenty-six Raines law
hotels to twenty-three churches in one Assem-
bly, District. and one-third Of the population pay
ing less than SIS a month rent, said Mr.. Laidlaw,
1T is evident that cont need to concentrate
our attention on the lower East Side but should
recognize the fact that the West Side has prob
lem that demands the attention Of the weli-to-do
While the abattoir at 3Sth-st. and llth-aNe. has
attracted general attention it must not be for
gotten that +5d-st. and 1st-ave. has abatto.r.
too From 37.h-st. 10 65th-st. east Of Lexington
ave, there is dense population. in some blocks
200 souls TO the acre. And the people who live
nearest the abattoir precisely those who have
the sanitary conditions.
1T is the duty of sef-protection not less than
Of self-devotion to the abattoirs from Man
haitian"
a PUBLIC NUISANCE.
Nj Murphy began his address with the remark
that while. in his opinion certain functions were
essentially private and with the management OF
which the municipality has proper relation
abatoirs certainly fell into the class of those which
considerations of public safety made it desirable
the municipality should control
Having taken pains to state that he spoke in MS
individual capacity. not secretary of the Citi-
zens' Union. Mr. Murphy went on TO say:
1T is cause for wonder that American cities have
not taken leaf from the experience Of the great
cities abroad in respect to the manipulating OF
abattoirs European cities supervise the slaugh-
tering of their meat on the ground that the
abattoir IS public nuisance that needs watching
bur on the theory that it is the duty OF the mu-
nicjpaIity to supervise all sources of food supply
This is what is done in NewYork only in the case
of milk
with them it has been question not Of neigh
borhood deIieacy but Of efficiency of supervision
through concentration although. of course 1t mas
resulted Immediately in the amehoraton OF lh7
neigh borhoOd.
almost every considerable city in Central and
Western Europe now controls the slaughtering Of
animals within its limits by means OF municipal
cattle yards and abattoirs Municipal aOattolrS
were established in Paris early in the last century
In 1872 Berlin opened two establishments, costing
nearly s. 10000 which supplanted nearly thou
sand private slaughter houses, and the municipal
abattoirs of Munich opened in 1881. did away with
about eight hundred small private establishments.
To-day in all the large cities and many Of the
small towns IN Germany, France. Italy. Swttzer-
land Holland Belgium Austra Hungary ana even
central abattoirs, with connecting cattle yards.
pned ehy and stuttgart Where there are Central
abattoirs owned by the Butchers Association, and
Altoona. In Russia only the largest cities have
municipal abattors. None of the cities OF Norway
and Sweden have them. In England about two
thirds Of the with over 10000 population have
municipal abattors.
Among the cities of the United States. however.
not a single instance of a municipal abattoir has
been reported. and in this respect they must be
clnssed with the Scandinavian, japanese and Chi
nese cities
OTHER THINGS CITIES OWN.
Then Mr. Murphy took up the larger topic OF
municipal ownership, of which, he said, we
shall hear a great deal in the coming election"
Speaking in his individual capacity. and a
representative OF the Citizens Union. he said:
Nothing IN municipal ownership per Sc justifes
US IN expecting the greatest things Of it. In Europe,
where municipalities have gone into almost every
imaginable business and philanthropic enterprise.
private concerns have been absorbed very, very
gradually, each being treated on its merits the
situation arose"
He then gave a highly instructive sketch OF the
raunicipalizing OF concerns abroad. Liverpool for
instance has gone into the milk business. Grenobe
runs A restaurant for schoolchildren Tunbrdge has
taken up sheep and vegetable raising, West Ham
sells paving stones. Sheffield, a by-product OF
ffs ownership of the water supply has opened
plumbing shop, while Manchester. a result of
its system Of public lighting sells and gas
fittings London. offshoot Of its park system,
gives away plants to whoever wants them. DON
and Brighton maintain raCecOurses: Brigh-
ton. and Lisle in France have municipal theatres.
A very large number OF cities have gone into hous-
ing libraries sewers. cemeteries and tramways,
while some operate their own telephones, pawn
shons cemeteries bathnouses and golf links.
Eventually the problem Of the abattoirs will
be settled in some such have indica ted.
and the gas plants will also be removed from
Manhattan.