The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-22
Stockyards and Slaught-
erh Gus es Sorely
Need Attention.
BAD CONDITIONS
BROUGHT TOLIGHT
Newspapers Have Been Printing
Sensational Stories of Meat In
dustry in This Country While
Overlooking Their Own.
Laws Against Cruelty to
Animals a Farce.

Especial Gable 10 The Times Dispatcn)
London. December 21.-After revel-
ing from time 70 time in gruesome
stories in regard to American stock
wards and canneries. Englishmen are
now surprised to be told that II is
time they looked at their own slaush-
terhouses. The methods Of these have
been attacked in a series Of articles
b. the well-known author and play
wright, John Galsworthy, the results
Of whose Investigations have drawn
an editorial confession from the Dany
Mail that "our laws against cruelty
10 animals are little more than
free while this scandal OF the slaugn-
terhouses remains.
Mr. Galsworthy's main charge against
English straightforward is the ghasuy
and universal cruelty. we cannot SIT
down at present to single meal, ne
says. without completely in nfethods
that produce a vast amount OF pre-
ventabIe trouble" Public opinion. says
NJ. Galsworthy, insures prosecute on
IL a donkey is beaten or Cog stoneu
hut "in the dark and sacred precincts
Of our slaughterhouses millions or am
mails especially some 100000 sheep
are killed annually by a method which
even at the hands OF experts. produces
acute suffering
Animals Not Protected.
The law against cruelty. whicn IL
supported by public sentiment, protects
horses, dogs. cats and other animals
but Mr. Galsworthy makes the charge
that in their case there Re no large
league, such as that OF the meat
trades, which Is opposing legal inter
ference, and. he adds. the meat traces
constitute the strongest pooy IN the
United Kingdom"
The English system as whole IL
indicted because Il 10 a mixed System
OF private and public slauEhterhouses
Thousands OF private siaughtefhous uses
.sorne OF which are admittedly high
" unsanitary," says Mr.. GaIsworthy'
ARE alongside a few municipality con-
trclled abattoIrs. The inspection OF
these private slsughterhouses Is ad-
rnft,edly very inefficient. 80 far as the
condition Of the meat ana the Inethoa
Of slaughter is concerned, while ths
supervision Of the public slaughter-
houses Is hamDered because the
butchers are allowed 10 send IN their
own slaughter men. There are no
statutory regulations OF Che method
OF slaughter. and the slaughter men
are not licensed and are not required
10 bt. proficient in their work.
Coming down 10 the actual slaugh-
terinx. Mr.. Galsworthy complains Of
The frequency OF unskilful pole-aNins
a, cattle before their threats are cut.
"In the case of the hrst TWO beasts
saw slaughtered" says Mr.. Gals
worthy, the frst blow Of the pole axe.
which was welded In each case by an
inexperienced slsughterer, descended
without effect, and the animals moeneo
and waited for a second blow. sheep
he saws. are not stunned before they
are killed, and he quotes the following
from a government report:
"The usual method Of killing sheep
Is 70 Law them on a wooden crutch
ana thrust a knife through the neck
below the ears. and with second mo-
tween the Joints Of the verteoEae,
tween the joints Of the Vertaorae.
thus severing the spinal cord IN the
hands OF an expert this Is fairly
rapid. but somewhat uncertain.
AZ best II is somewhat difficult, yet II
il often Entrusted 10 young and mex
nertenced hands. The probable rea-
son why sheep are easy 10 handie u
because they do not struggle or give
trouble when struck
worthy in commenting on this last
sentence, the more helpless the crea~
ture the less is the need for humanity
Methods Of killing.
Rs.usen 1000. 600 and 100000 pigs
arc killed annually in English slsugh-
,erhouses. Mr.. GaIsworthy gives two
accounts Of the usual method OF XIII
ing them He says. I saw hFe PIGS
kiIled Three small and two large pigs
were knitted. one at time. and al
lowed TO wander around the slaughter
house bleeding. in drunken. reeiinS'
rolling state and uttering the most
piaintivc cries
..Tbe Other day 7 saw fifteen pigs
in a chamber which was Just large
e,oueh to hold them and the siaugh-
,erer Three or four which had al
ready been stunned and knitted lay
dad and bleeding among their living
h-ethren. who. in manifest terror. were
souealinx and straining against the
waris while the slaughteTer moved
among them selecting the next victim
This was in . public siaugntethouse.
nnser municipal control. with GOOD
s,,perintcndeut. and. by the way. with
a bov OF thirteen looking on
Another kind OF cruelty referred to
by Mr.. Gaisworthy Is the common
prartice even IN mCderu- Nfil-tfh u
lated sIaughterhoUses- OF keeping the
animals Immediately awaiting sl&ush-
ter In the pens which are mere annexes
OF the slaughter chamber Itself and
in fun view OF all that goes on there
IN.
Mr.. Gaisworthy does not dwell on
the rnsanitzry aspect Of the English
system because he wishes TO lay stress
on the needless cruelty inflicted or
animals. and repeats that the method
Of shcepkiliinR. whrc" the knife goes
IN Just behind the right ear and wigglcs
about in tho neck and head until u
finds the spinal cord between the
Joints Of the veterbrac" ~ brutal
Nevertheless he states plainly that 3;
- practically impossible to inspect the
condition Of carcasses In private slaugh-
terhouses. and quotes a royal COM
missions report which SAYS:
We think % probable that an ap-
probable part Of tho tuberculosis that
affects man Is obtained through bis
food
The autumn season In London this
voa- - ala 20 he the dulle<t ever