Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-12
REFUSE
TO EAT MEAT
COUNCIL CONSIDERS MUNlCl-
PAL ABBAT0IR
Effort viii Be Made to Restore Pub.
lie onfidence-lnspector De-
nanded and Promptly Given
Board of Health

In an effort to restore public conf
dence in local packing house products,
a special committee of the city council,
with the health officer and city attor-
ney, will hold meeting at 10 o'clock
Wednesday morning, when local pack
ers, butchers and slaughter house men
will appear before the committee The
committee has no intention of muck
raking. but on the contrary will do all
in its power to get Los Angeles resi-
dents into the habit of eating meat
again.
The appointment of this committee
was the result of a demand from the
health department that an additional
meat inspector be provided by ordi-
nance. The Inspector was provided il.
a hurry and little later on the council
agreed that the board of health should
be allowed to purchase an automobile
at a cost of not more than $500. The
board of health can have anything it
wants from the council these days, SO
long as it pursues its Investigations
into the meat industry.
Would Restore Confidence
When the Inspector and automobile
had been granted, Councilman Smith
urged an investiga ton of the meat in
dustry in this city that would restore
public confidence.
''This council must do something and
do it quickly" said Mr.. Smith. '"The
people are afraid of meat in any form
since the revelations of the packing
business have been made. 1t is running
the business of butchers, slaughter
house men, cattle raisers and restau-
rants. While l am convinced that no
such conditions can be found in Los
Angeles as have recently been un-
earthed in Chicago and other large
cities where packing houses are con-
Quoted, still there are many persons
who do not share my confidence in the
local concerns, and as a consequence
hav cut meat from their bills of fare.
This has come to such pass that it is
even breaking up homes.
I'm order to formulate some laws or
do something that will bring the meat
business back to it's former status, l
would suggest committee of three be
appointed from this council to confer
with the health officer and the city at
tOrney."
The suggestion caught readily with
the other members of the council, and
accordingly Smith, Harmon and Kern
were appointed as the Investigators.
May Favor Municipal Plant
81 don't know just what is needed" j."
said Mr.. Smith yesterday evening, "but
we need some kind of law mighty quick.
While / am certain that the local
slaughter houses are living up to the
standard required of them, it is almost
equally certain that some bad meat
does get on to the butchers tables.
Dairymen slaughter cattle outside the
city and some of them are not fit for
food. We will have to formulate some
law that will prevent this kind of meat
being sold. Either we will have to pro-
vide for an inspection with an official
stamp on every piece of meat inspected
or guard the butcher shops most thor
| oughly."
Two meat inspectors are now doing
all the inspecting that is done in the
| city, and the board of health does not
| consider this sufficient
| 1t is quite probable that the council
will agree to Health Officer Powers
idea that the only thorough safeguard
| is a municipal abattoir, where all
slaughtering must be done under the
| eagle eyes of health board officers.
! --apS-or-