92 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



A hole was provided in the killing room floor through which the 

 offal was pushed to the hogs below. This was a simple and inex- 

 pensive, 5^et insanitar}^ contrivance for taking care of the by-pro- 

 ducts. It is now unlawful to feed offal within two hundred feet of 

 a slaughter house. 



All meat dealers have been more or less annoyed by prospective 

 purchasers touching and handling meat displayed for sale. It took 

 a tactful butcher to correct such an abuse without offending his 

 customers. This act makes it unlawful for customers to touch or 

 Jiandle meat displayed for sale. It goes farther and requires meat 

 to be screened against flies and animals. 



An investigation was recently made of the meat stands at five 

 city market houses, and not a single stand was equipped with 

 screens. A public meeting was arranged with the butchers at which 

 this subject and other pertinent matters were discussed. The result 

 has been that practicalh' every stand in the city is now provided 

 with screens. A move of this kind has been started at Harrisburg, 

 Lancaster, York, Altoona, Williamsport, Columbia, Hanover Curb 

 Market, Suubury, Mt. Joy, Lebanon, Chambersburg and Waynes- 

 boro, and will be started soon in other places. 



Complaints have been received from citizens that certain persons 

 gather up dead animals and feed them to hogs. Under the old law 

 there was no way to stop it so long as evidence was lacking that 

 the animals had died from dangerous disease. 



The present law makes it a misdemeanor to place on the market 

 meat from hogs to which have been fed dead animals. 



It formerly required more time and expense to close an unsatis- 

 factory slaughter house or meat market. It can now be done in a 

 few days. By simplifying the procedure and shortening the time 

 for closing them everv interest concerned is benefited. The owner 

 of the plant is helped because he knows what has to be done and 

 the length of time he has in which to do it. His competitor is as- 

 sisted for the reason that he is not obliged to compete indefinitely 

 with the careless slovenly fellow. The State is benefited because it 

 saves time and money, and the public is the gainer because what is 

 beneficial to the three interests, is good for it. 



The new law covers such matters as sanitation, the sale of diseased 

 and unwholesome meat, the appointment of agents, defines their 

 duties and provides for the adoption of regulations. 



Our agents are not expected to go about as policemen and detec- 

 tives or to be compelled to resort to gum shoe methods while doing 

 their work. It is desired that they act in the capacity of advisors 

 to spread the gospel of sanitation and show the difference between 

 diseased and wholesome meat and a sound product, and the dangers 

 that result from the lack of sanitation. 



We aim to encourage co-operation between the meat merchants 

 and those charged with the enforcement of the laws, and to discour- 

 age the practices that lead to prosecution. 



About one-half of the meat placed upon the public market in Penn- 

 sylvania is inspected by the Federal, State or municipal govern- 



