The Assembly of the New Jersey Legislature has defeated a so-called “humane slaughter” bill which, if enacted, would have affected shechitah in the State of New Jersey and might have affected the supply of Kosher meats to New York City, whose markets are almost entirely dependent on the output of slaughter houses in this state.
The bill was introduced in the Legislature early during the current session by Assemblymen Robert Berglund, of Burlington County, and John W. Davis, of Salem County, For months, while Jewish organizations were protesting against enactment of the measure, the Assembly’s committee dealing with the issue held no hearings. Finally, a hearing was scheduled for last Monday–which was the second day of Shevuoth, when a demand was made that the session be adjourned because it conflicted with a Jewish holiday.
The hearing was adjourned, but the two sponsors of the bill suddenly decided to bring it to the floor of the Assembly for a vote. In that ballot, the bill was defeated 27 to 19. The measure would have prohibited shackling and hoisting of animals, on the grounds that such practices were “inhumane.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
