186 
LEONARD PEARSON. 
pared in a large central slaughter-house under municipal control 
there would soon arise a strong demand for this meat. It would 
be preferred and would make its own market. I see no other 
way by which the gradual destruction of our local slaughtering 
industry by the competition from the Western packers can be 
averted. 
Now, as to the second objection to this plan, namely : the 
allegation that the cost of meat prepared in this way would be 
increased and the poor man would have greater difficulty in pro¬ 
viding meat for his family. This objection is old, it has been 
made and met in Germany as many times as there are public 
slaughter-houses, and has been discussed thoroughly by repre¬ 
sentatives of the meat industry, sanitarians and others. 
In 1897 the director of the municipal slaughter-house in 
Stockholm instituted an extensive inquiry for the purpose of 
obtaining information on the following points : 
1st.—Whether it has been shown that the introduction of 
municipal slaughter-houses and obligatory inspection of meat 
brought into the city from outside has made meat more expen¬ 
sive, and, in such case, to what extent has the price been in¬ 
creased. 
2d.—Whether the municipal slaughter-house has been an 
earning institution. 
3d.—As to the charges for killing and inspection. 
Information on these points was received from 403 cities in 
Kurope and it was found : 
1st.—That the price of meat had not become increased by 
the requirements as to the slaughtering and inspection. 
2d.—That the public slaughter-houses were paying institu¬ 
tions. 
3d.—That the price of meat depended upon the relation be¬ 
tween supply and demand, and especially upon the price of 
cattle. 
4th.—That the quality of the meat improved after the pub¬ 
lic slaughter-houses were opened, so that there was relatively a 
diminution in price. 
