[Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Canterbury Borough / City & County.

  • Canterbury (England). City & County Council.
Date:
1961
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Canterbury Borough / City & County. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    29/58 (page 23)
    REPORT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR FOR THE YEAR 1961 Public Health Department, Canterbury. Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, j I have pleasure in presenting the annual report on the health inspection services carried out in 1961. It is with reluctance that I refer once more to the staff shortage which existed throughout the year and obviously this is reflected in some aspects of our work. I am very pleased to be able to report, notwithstanding a 17% increase in the number of animals slaughtered in your abattoir, that 100% inspection at the time of slaughter was maintained. Your Inspectors, while regretting the late hours of work that meat inspection entails, viewed with very much concern a request from the Fatstock Marketing Corporation to carry out regular Sunday slaughtering. It is no exaggeration to say that the Inspectors were greatly relieved when the proposal was rejected. In the days of shorter working weeks, it is difficult not to be dismayed with the prospect of a seven day working week and there is evidence to show that even now meat inspection is a deterrent to Inspectors applying for posts in Canterbury. Before leaving the subject of the slaughter of animals it is perhaps worth mentioning that the Sunday Observance Act, 1627, which was passed in the reign of Charles I, provides that “if any butcher kill any victual on Sunday, then every such butcher shall forfeit and lose for every such offence the sum of 6s. 8d.” While not much is heard today of this ancient Act which in still on the Statute Book, I suspect that it would have been of some importance in Canterbury in the 17th century. I should like to record my indebtedness to the Chairman and Members of the Sanitary and Licensing Committee and Housing Committee for the encouragement and sympathetic consideration they have given to the suggestions put before them, and my thanks are due to the Medical Oflicer of Health and Inspector colleagues, and the staff of the Department for their help and co-operation during the year. I am. Your obedient servant, T. L. MARTIN, Chief Public Health Inspector.