92 THE STATE AS FARMER 



part of the boundary of the borough there should 

 be no slaughterhouses except public ones. 



Wherever a public slaughterhouse is erected, all 

 private slaughterhouses within the district served 

 by the public one should cease to exist. 



It would be a distinct advantage if power were 

 given to two or more town councils to combine for 

 the purpose of providing a joint slaughterhouse for 

 their mutual use, there being no such power at present, 

 and similar powers might also be given to enable 

 combinations of districts to be formed for the same 

 purpose. Dr. Dittmar even suggests that the Local 

 Government Board should have power to compel 

 local authorities to combine for this purpose, as they 

 have in the case of providing hospital accommodation. 



But our municipal authorities do not so 

 much want abattoirs as good meat for their 

 citizens, and I need scarcely remind anyone 

 that stock is not grown in the towns any more 

 than ripe strawberries grow in the sea. The 

 natural, decent, and safe system is for each 

 unit of area in the rural districts to be respon- 

 sible for the meat which issues from it, to see 

 that the stock is reared from healthy parents, 

 in sanitary surroundings and under the best 

 conditions. A really efficient system will 

 provide adequate feeding in at least the final 



