El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-31
{ ANIMALS DIE;
MEAT IS SOLD.
Abattoir Where Killing is
Supervised by Health
Department.

El Paso is greatly i'm need Of a mu-
nicipal abattoir to conserve the health
Of the city according to Dr. w. Z.
Kluttz, city health officer.
Ell Paso will never be able TO eXer-
cise a complete control over the meat
consumed i'm the city until all slaush-
trring is done i'm one slaughter house,
Dr Kluttz declared, land until inspect
ors can see every animal before ana
after il is slaughtered there is bound
10 be offered TO the public unclean
meat.
"The city should build its own ahat-
tOir and maintain IT, In this way II
could exercise complete control over
all the meat slaughtered for city use.
j would Ice required. OF course. that ali
Strengthening done i'm this vicinity De
conducted at the city slaughter house;
otherwise. the same difficulties would
be met that now confront the inspect
Ors-inability 10 keep check ON all the
meat offered for sale in the city.
Cattle Die, MeHf Sold.
You can better understand the ne
cessity Of a central abattoir when /
tell you that frequently animals which
have died from disease. are dressed and
the meat sold TO the public. Recently
COW that had died i'm one OF the stock
yards was dressed and the meat sold.
Again. our inspectors recently ran
across a case where a hog that had
died was dressed and sold 7 have no
the better class of markets in FL Paso;
but il is certain that much meat rnat
is extremely dangerous to health is
sold to the MeXiCans. A short time ago
the health department condemned lOOO
pounds of beef that was found to be
tubercular.
No Supervision.
"This condition is bound TO continue
as long as we have no better super
vision over the slaughter Of animals
than we have today. Our inspectors
are alert and We condemn much meat
IN the course Of month, but we can
not catch up with every vendor OF
with all Strengthening conferred at
one point the inspectors would have
an opportunity to inspect all animals
on the hoOf and thus prevent the kill
ing Of animals that are diseased. This
is essential, as some diseases cannot be
detected after the Strengthening is done.
Inspection would also be conducted af-
ter slaughter, Of course. so that there
would be a complete check on all meat
that is prepared for consumption.
Cost $4,000.
The proper kind of municipal ab2t-
tor would cost 100000 to $4,000, and II
might not be a paying inves tment at
the start. viewed from the standpoint
Of dollars and cents. But il would
certainly safeguard the public health
from the very beginning and that
would be the greater consideration. The
abattoir would be made strictly sani-
tary so that nowhere i'm the process Of
preparing meat for consumption would
10 become contaminated. 1t would have
a water tight cement floor. Provision
would be made for carrying off the af-
fluvia and for disposing of the Offal
and refuse. The handlers OF meat
would be required to wear clothing
that could be cleaned and made sani-
tary and to keen their hands clean.
Cold Storage.
zone essential feature would be
n cold storage plant for cooling the
meats and keeping them i'm storage for
day or two. if desirable. There are
no facilities here now for cooling meat
after 10 is slaughtered, and proper cool
Ing is necessary.
"Our present slaughter houses are
Tar from sanitary. While they are
screened. the helpers are careless in
the matter Of closing the doors and
the result is that flies get TO the meat.
None of the buildings are sanitary and
none but what could be greatly i'm
proved
Livestock Men Believed II.
There is movement to the estab-
llshment Of city slaughter houses
throughout the country. The American
National Tive Stock association last
week went on record as favOring the
municipal abattoir as one Of the things
that should be encouraged to combat
-he large packers. There is but one
city institution i'm Texas and that is at
Paris The Paris abattoir has proved
a success and has been the subject Of
n number Of newspaper and magazine
articles"