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In 1965, the Seattle Junior Chamber of Commerce led an effort
to amend an old law that prohibited the sale of red meat after 6:00 p.m. in Seattle stores.
The ordinance stated that a licensed meat salesman,
meaning a butcher, must be on site for customers to make a purchase.
Since butchers did not work past 6:00, this meant no one could buy meat
after that time.
This was referred to as the “Cutlet Curfew.”
The rule also applied all day on Sundays.
The Chamber collected over 15,000 signatures from citizens who agreed
it was time for the law to be changed
and some media outlets joined the campaign as well.
KAYO Radio ran six editorials encouraging the change.
One of the spots noted that
the existing ordinance was written in 1931 before modern refrigeration technology.
Another editorial pointed out that it was possible to buy
fresh fish and poultry (which they argued was more perishable than red meat)
without a butcher being on hand and called the law “antiquated” and “ridiculous.”
KAYO also noted that in both Spokane and Tacoma, consumers could buy
meat after 6:00 and asked why is the City of Seattle so different?
They summed up, “We must concede that it surely takes a qualified butcher to cut
and wrap your fresh meats properly, but it completely escapes us
why it takes a butcher to sell that packaged meat.”
A collection of postcards addressed to “meat” at KIRO radio shows
that KIRO had also been seeking opinions from the City's consumers.
Some messages were simple, like “Meat. Yes!”
Other comments called the Cutlet Curfew “the craziest I’ve ever heard of” and
“another out of date law that serves to give the state of Washington a backward look.”
One writer declared that, “My friends are crooks!”
“They phone their butcher to put aside meat for after 6:00 pickup.”
“Whoever heard of bootlegging meat except in Seattle!”
The Director of Public Health was reluctant to amend the ordinance
and in fact wanted to strengthen it to include poultry, rabbit and fish.
He pointed out that the original law was written
because adulterated meat and meat from deceased animals had been being sold
and that the ordinance had done its job of keeping the meat supply safe.
However, after the Mayor also endorsed the change,
he seemed to see the writing on the wall,
and he recommended that a committee be appointed to write any amendments.
The ordinance was indeed amended in April 1965
to allow the sale of prepackaged meats between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m..
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