Minutes of evidence taken before the Committee appointed by the Admiralty to consider the humane slaughtering of animals.

  • Great Britain. Committee on Humane Slaughtering of Animals.
Date:
1904
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Minutes of evidence taken before the Committee appointed by the Admiralty to consider the humane slaughtering of animals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (cont.). Staff-Serg. Major Fielder. 4 » MINUTES OF warranted complaint ; I know there was a complaint, or more than one, as to the flaying of the animals being com- menced before they were really dead, but I think such cases are extremely rare: 90. The slaughterers, I believe, are employed by the butchers themselves, are they not, and not by the market authorities ?—They are employed by the purchasers of the animals. 91. Are they licensed by the corporation? Do they have to get sanction before they begin slaughtering ?— Oh dear no. 92. It is entirely within the discretion of the butchers themselves ?—I take it that it is; I am not aware that they have to have any licence. 93. The slaughtering is mostly done in separate rooms, or whatever you would call them ?—Yes, in separate rooms. 94. Do you think that a good plan, or do you think it would tend to maintain things being done under good conditions if it was done, as in Germany, in halls where everything is seen by a number of people ?—I really do not know that there would be very much in that. 95. At any rate, from what you have seen, you would not feel that the animals being killed in the presence of each other would be detrimental to the use of a public slaughtering hall ?—No, I do not think so. 96. (Chairman.) Do J understand that each animal is slaughtered in a separate room ?—No, each owner or master butcher has a separate room. 97. (Mr. Cope.) There is a shed and a yard outside ? —Yes, they can work two gangs in each slaughter-house. 98. (Chairman.) Are the animals cut up, then, in the same room in which they are poll-axed ?---They are pol]- axed and skinned and dressed there, and then they are passed on to the cooling room. 99. (Mr. Murphy.) Do you think it would be a good plan if a system of licensing did exist ?—Yes, it would be, to a certain extent, a guarantee that only skilful men were employed. 100. And you would not limit that, probably, to the public slaughter-houses of Deptford and Islington; you would apply it generally to the killing of animals in private slaughter-houses? —Yes, but, of course, the difficulty would arise in small villages where there are only one bullock and three or four sheep a week killed, and I am inclined to think that there is a good deal more cruelty goes on in slaughter-houses of that class than in the larger slaughter- houses. 101. (Chairman.) But I see no difficulty about licensing them, do you ?—No. 102. The licence need not be expensive ?—No. 103. (Mr. Murphy.) Does this subjéct matter touch the number of persons who are employed in killing animals? Ought there to be a limited number employed, say, in killing a sheep on account of its struggles ?—I do not think 80. EVIDENCE : in killing a sheep ?—Oh, dear, no; one butcher is quite sufficient to kill a sheep, and indeed in country places one man has to kill and dress a bullock; I have seen it done scores of times. 105. Do you think it tends to prolong the sufferings occasionally, if only one man is employed ?—I do not think so at all. 106. When the knife is put through the throat, is the rieck of the animal broken or is the spinal cord divided only ?—The spinal cord is divided. You mean the articulation ? 107. Yes ?—No, it is not destroyed. 108. The ligaments are not torn ?—No, the head is pulled back, and there is a fairly large space for the in- sertion of the point of the knife. 109. Does it require much skill to do that, or can an unskilled person do it ?—I think it requires some skill ; it requires a certain amount of practice to hit the exact point, and I take it that in the majority of cases where I have seen sheep struggling after they have been stuck, it is where the spinal cord has not been divided. 110. (Chairman.) I understand there is a method by which the sheep’s neck is broken ; technically, I suppose, the ligaments are torn, and the spinal cord broken ?— The spinal cord is severed by being torn ? 111. Yes; would that cause death instantaneously ?— It would if it could be done, but I do not think the spinal column can be severed in the way you suggest. 112. (Mr. Gordon Miller.) Does the Corporation exercise any control over the persons employed in slaugh- tering ?—No special control as far as I am aware; you mean in the way of licensing ? 113. Yes ?—No. 114. (Chairman.) Are there any bye-laws or regula- tions in force at Deptford to regulate the methods of slaughtering ?—I am not aware of any. 115. I presume there are certain regulations as regards sanitary observances and so forth ?—Yes, that is all under the management of the superintendent. I do not know what the bye-laws are. 116. Who is the superintendent ?—Mr. Philcox. is a most able man. 117. Is there anything else you wish to say ?—No, I think that pretty well covers the ground. My own idea is that instead of devising fresh methods of slaughter, the present methods if efficiently carried out are satis- factory. There is one thing I certainly do think—that before a lad, or a man either, is allowed to commence slaughtering he ought either to pass some kind of an examination to prove his efficiency, or there ought to be some system which makes no doubt of his having proper knowledge of the work. That is particularly so in the sticking of a sheep. Although I have had considerable experience in handling a knife myself I do not think I could stick a sheep and pith him at the first attempt. He 118. (Chairman.) I understand you are the master butcher at Aldershot ?—Yes. 119. How long have you held that position ?—Thirteen months. 120. Where were you before that ?—In South Africa tor three years and previous to that I was at Shorncliffe as master butcher. 121. How many years’ experience as master butcher have you !—From 1886 as master butcher. } 122 You have eighteen years’ experience ?—On and off, not at ail times employed. 123. At any rate you have had a very large experience ? —Yes. 124. You have had experience of slaughtering animals on service as well as at home in’time of peace ?—Yes. + 125. You have charge of the slaughtering of all animals at Aldershot now ?7—Yes. 126. Do you actually see the slaughtering yourself as a rule ?—Yes, I do as a rule, if not, my assistant is there, but I am there nearly always. 127. How many animals do you have to slaughter a day as a rule ?—Now, on the average, about twenty-five. 128. Cattle ?—Yes. 129. Do you slaughter sheep as well ?—No, only for the hospital use, about three or four, but no number ; we have supplies of mutton from the colonies twice a week. 130. Your work is chiefly in slaughtering cattle, and your chief experience is in that line ?—Yes. 131. What is your method of slaughtering cattle ?—We use the mask; we used the poll-axe up to about two months ago, but we use the slaughtering mask now, 132. Do you use it entirely ?—Not entirely, because we have two mallets only, but we have applied for more ;