Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 13 January 1940
Unsound Meat
Wath Butcher in Court
Fined £15
On a summons of exposing for sale meat that was unfit for human consumption, Arnold Rawson butcher, of 8, Avenue Road, Wath, was fined £15 at Rotherham on Monday.
Mr. A. H. Jackson, prosecuting for Wath U D.C. said the prosecution was taken under the Food and Drugs Act, 1933, and briefly the facts were that on October 18th about 11-30 a.m., a qualified inspector to the Council called at the shop with a view to inspecting meat there.
He saw defendant’s father and noticed hanging up three portions of a carcase of beef ready for cutting for sale. Upon Examination this meat was found to be wet, flabby and unset and there were large patches of a cheese coloured substance which was typical of tuberculous condition. A liver was also abnormal.
While the inspector was in the shop a woman came in with a view to purchasing part of the meat. The Sanitary Inspector uttered a warning and the woman went out saying she was purchasing for someone else and she would not take the meat. Defendant’s father was informed that the meat was infected and it would have to be taken to a Justice of Peace with a view to it being condemned.
The meat was put on a lorry and taken to the Town Hall. Defendant raised no objection to the slaughter but stated that had he known that the meat was as bad as it was he would never have attempted to sell it. The beast was killed 8 and 10 p.m the previous night outside the district and defendant said that light in the slaughterhouse was poor when he slaughtered the animal and he his could not tell whether there was anything wrong with the beast. In other conversation he said he was the owner of the business and his father was just looking after the shop.
When the Inspector asked where the remaining parts of the carcase were he said. “Am I bound to tell you.” when Rawson was told that the inspector would get in touch with the Mexborough Sanitary Inspector he gave the information and surrendered the meat.
Mr. Jackson asked the Bench to take a serious view of the case. Inspectors could not make regular inspections and at a time like this if bad meat was put before the public it was a bad matter indeed. It was not a case of ignorance. Rawson ought to have seen that it never entered the shop.
Not In the Window
In reply to Mr. Donald Dunn. Defending, witness stated that he was definitely of the opinion that the meat was effected. He agreed that the meat was not in the window.
Addressing the Bench. Mr. Dunn said defendant’s father who had spent a life time in the meat trade and who had cut up thousands of carcases said he saw no traces of tuberculosis in the beast and an uncle of defendant who also had spent a lifetime in the trade between would give similar evidence. Although defendant was of the opinion that the meat was fit for human consumption he did not intend to contest the Condemnation Order and having regard to reputation he gave way and yielded the meat rather than that there be any allegation against him.
Rawson, in evidence, said he had worked as a butcher since he was at school and he had taken over a business which had been carried on by his father for 50 years. He dressed the carcase and later cut it up but he noticed nothing wrong with it.
John Rawson, retired butcher and father of defendant, said there was no suggestion about tuberculosis when the beast was bought at Doncaster Market and sent to Mexborough. Neither was there anything wrong when the beast was slaughtered. The meat was set.
Jacob Rawson, aged 75, butcher, of 41, Wath Road, Mexborough, said the beast was bought for £9 15s. It looks sound and healthy. The beast was removed to a slaughter house at Mexborough. He failed to report the slaughter to the authority.
Joe Cocking, butcher, of 12, Sandymount Road, Wath, said the meat looked all right when he visited the shop on October 18th.
Fining Rawson as stated, the chairman (Mr J. S. Colton Fox) said, “I might say your evidence has been most unsatisfactory and unreliable.”