Sessional_Paper_1897 — Page 416

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Acting Colonial Veterinary Surgeon's Report for 1896.

SANITARY BOARD OFFICES, 7th February, 1897.

SIR,-I have the honour to submit the annual report regarding the importation of live stock and the management of the slaughter-houses and markets during the year 1896.

IMPORTATION OF LIVE STOCK.

Inspection of Animals.-During the year under review no cases of serious communicable disease. was observed among the large number of animals imported.

DEPÔTS.

Catle Depôts. The health of the animals housed in the Cattle Depôts remained good throughout the year. The total number admitted was 21,750 head, out of these only 270 head were rejected as being unfit for slaughtering for food and these mainly because of their emaciated condition. The build- ings forming the Depôts are in a good state of repair. The new Cattle Depôt erected at Kaulung was opened on the 1st of January and it adequately meets all the present requirements of the district. The decision that the Cattle Depôts should be managed directly by the market staff and not let to a contractor as in former years was given effect to on the 1st of January and the plan has worked satisfactorily. It entails a slight addition to the market staff, viz., two tallymen and eight scavengers. The Kennedy- town Cattle Depôt is under the supervision of the Inspector in charge of the whole of the animal Depôts there, and the Kaulung Depôt is directly under my own supervision.

The Sheep and Swine Depôts.-These buildings are in a good state of repair and in good working order. The new sheds, erected at Kennedytown adjacent to the Swine Depôt for the unbasketing and enumerating of the swine imported, also the enumerating and shearing of sheep imported, was opened on the 21st of February and is now in use. This shed has greatly facilitated the work of the Tallymen and also has proved useful for the housing of the occasional extra large numbers of sheep and swine imported.

SLAUGHTER-HOUSES.

Victoria. The slaughter-house for the city is in a good state of repair and in thorough good working order and is satisfactory in every respect. The number of animals slaughtered therein during the year amounted to 143,612, being an increase of six hundred and twelve over the number slaughtered during 1895.

Kaulung. The building is in a good state of repair. The number of animals slaughtered therein shows a considerable increase over the number slaughtered during 1895.

Shaukiwan.--The temporary building is in a fair state of repair. The number of animals. slaughtered therein is practically the same as the number for 1895. I understood that provision was being made for the construction of a proper slaughter-house for this district but I suppose it has not yet been found convenient to do so.

The total number of animals slaughtered during the year shows a considerable increase on the figures for 1895, and is almost entirely due to the increase of cattle and sheep. The increase in the number of swine slaughtered is trivial and for practical purposes the number may be viewed as being the same as during 1895. The following table gives the figures for the past four years :-

1893, 1894,

1895,

1896,

Cattle.

17,896

}

16,898

19,218 19,546

Sheep and Goats,

11,776

10,937

12,592

14,693

Swine.

131,298

125,725

129,035

129,103

It is not very easy to account for the figures for swine remaining stationary, as there are various factors to be taken into consideration. There certainly was an appreciable decrease in the numbers imported from August up to the end of the year as compared with 1895. From enquiries made I was given to understand that some differences arose between the local swine merchants and their clients in Haiphong and Hoihow resulting in an increase in the price of swine which gave rise to a slight increase in the price of pork in our markets. This, I am inclined to believe, is the principal reason of practically no increase having taken place in the number of swine slaughtered.

COWSHEDS.

The most important occurrence with regard to these, which took place during the year, was the outbreak of an infectious disease, which proved to be rinderpest, amongst the Dairy Farm Company's herd of cattle at Pokfulam. The manner in which the disease was introduced to this herd of cattle is not known, but I am of the opinion that some of the food stuffs was the source of infection. I think