The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-22
CITY TO ALLOW Us
TO Eat HORSE MEAT
Health Board Hits High Cost
of Living by Removing
Restrictions.
IN EFFECT ON NEW YEAR

The Board Of Health aimed a blow at
the high cost Of living yesterday in the
annual amendments TO the Sanitary Code
by passing an ordinance permitting the
slaughter Of horses for food. The meas
ure goes into effect with the lei
year and revokes the provision forbid.
ding the killing Of horses as meat which
has been In effect since New York has
been a city.
I'm adopting this resolution" said
Health Commissioner Emerson, "the
board wished to open the way for an
inexpensive and healthy food supply.
Hereafter old horses. instead Of being
sold for their bones. can be fattened up
and disposed OF for meat. While the
department does not precisely recon-
mend the eating OF horse meat. we can
see no harm In Its use.
THE horse never has tuberculosis and
practically never communicates Q malig-
nant disease to human beings. Conse-
quently the strict regulation OF horse
meat would not be necessary. as with
cows, sheep or poultry. except that all
uorSt lIltdl li'ful NC 81 ooNhith AfNAo
Is no medical reason to prevent equine
flesh from being edible.
ITO show the relative value Of such
food abroad I need only cite tho report
Of DR.. Alderman. a veterinarian Of the
department. who inspected the horse
abbatoirs Of Paris. London and Brussels
just before the outbreak Of the war. He
found that in Brussels horse meat from
England was bringing higher prices than
Argentine beef"
Another marked departure mad, in
the code " q the Incorporation Of a regu-
lation providing that all schools In the
city. except those maintained by the
BOARD Of Education. shall operate only
under a permit from the Board OF
Health. DIR. Emerson explained that
this legislation. to take effect September
I next, was intended primarily to i'm
prove the "cheodr!m." or Jewish relig-
ious schools. on the East Side.
MANY of these are In the Easements
OF tenements." he said. and are at
tended BY the children after they have
finished the days work in the public
schools. ! visited several Of these
schools. and saw the teachers splitting
and smoking In the classrooms. n the
common drinking CUP and towel much
In evidence. The pupils sat on stools
without backs"
The health officials dealt also with
the problem OF typhoid carriers by pro-
hibiting every food handler who has
| just recovered from the disease from
engaging in mis- occupation again with
out the permission of the department. Pa
tlents who are employed at other work
will be allowed to return to Il.
The $4,000 retail milk stores In the
city will not be compelled to have per-
mits from the Health Department In
future. Under the present system every
food storc is Inspected once a month.
n with the wholesale supply under
control and pasteuriZation made impera-
tive, the boar felt that the retail dealers
should be relieved Of the unnecessary
hindrance OF getting a permit each year.
Hair dyes and toilet preparations
which contain substances detrimental 10
health. such as lead, mercury. arsenic
| and certain coal tar products. were for
hidden by the board. This action marked
the first c~ognizance ever taken by the
authorities Of external preparations.
Regulations were passed specifying
! the purity of bathing water In pools
kept by the city n private individuals
Hereafter they can contain nc moe than
ten colon bacilli per cubic centineter.
All water tanks must have tight GOV
erS, as II was found that the ventilation
holes permitted In previous years made
II easy for mosquitoes 10 breed In the
reservoirs. The water Is kept fresf
enough by the air which percolates
through the sides of every tank.