§ 70. Mr. STANTONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food how it was that last week there was dispatched to the borough of Southport a considerable quantity of boxed boneless beef with the glands removed in order to prevent detection of the fact that the beef was the salvage of consumptive cows; whether no one in the employ of his Department at Liverpool was competent to examine the boxes and detect the removal of the glands; if so, whether he will advertise in the trade journals for practical men with a knowledge of meat, and employ them in the work of dispatching goods to provincial towns; and whether he will have the remainder of this consignment examined to find out if more of these tuberculous goods exist, and have the same condemned?
§ Mr. CLYNESI am glad that the hon. Member has called attention to this case. The report of the police court proceedings recently taken against certain butchers at Southport for exceeding the maximum price of mutton is calculated to give a wrong impression. It was stated by the defence that boxed meat from which tuberculous glands had been removed had been supplied to these butchers. I am assured that there is no ground whatever for this suggestion. I understand that the American practice is to remove the glands from the beef at the time it is boned, and that all meat packed is inspected and passed by Government inspectors, under whose continuous supervision the packing is carried on.