THE ABATTOIR QUESTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 35, 10 February 1905, Page 3

THE ABATTOIR QUESTION.

—•— ! i ETVAL PROPOSALS BY COMPANIES. ' OFFER BY R. AND W. HELLABY, T.I"M rrKP. The Legal and Finance Committee of the City Council met last night and heard deputations from th« Auckland Fanners' Freezing Co. and the master butchers of Auckland in relation to the abattoir question. A proposal by R. and W. Hellahy, Ltd., was laid before the committee by the Mayor (the Hoti. E. Mitehelaon) as chairman, and Mr Wing, on belialf of the company, attended to explain it. The Mayor, in receiving the deputation, said the Council had submitted the proposal of the Freezing Co. to the committee for consideration, with instruc- j tions also to hear deputations from the ! company and the master butchers. THE FREEZING CO.'S PROPOSAL. The offer of the Freezing Co_ as printed in the on Wednesday, was thpn read to the eommitte?. In effect it was that the company should erect abattoirs, which would be under the control of the Couacil. and should receive in payment therefor the fees charged per head for slaughtering as follows:—Cattle 6d, calves 3d. pigs 6d, :iheep and lambs Id. Mr Barugli representing the Freezing Co.. said that the proposal of his company was clearly stated in the letter road. He had hoard soce objections raised, since the offer had been made, principally en the ground that the land was leasehold, bat after going carefully into the matter he could iisiure the committee that there was nothing to prevent the Council from leasing the abattoirs, and it would have then as much i under its control as on freehold. The partition was right i-Jor. ■ the rairwjy, and was two miles closer to town than r,he proposed site at Otahuhu, meaning a considerable Raving in cartage. The proposal of his c&rjpauy was to build abattoirs to suit the Cotrocil at the company's own cest. ard to keep them in good order, in return for which the company was to receive a fixed fee for the slaughtering. The company had a site that could be used both for slaughtering and for freezing, besides j which the company had certain facilities r'or dediiag with the animals which enable it dto make this low offer. As far as oii'al was concerned, the company had special machinery on the *ite for treat- i ing it. and would b». abls to pay the L butchers a better pric-: 1 than they couid j get elsewhere. The company h:id got ( freezing and dulling rooms there, and J if the batchers wished, it would chill the i meat far them. He did not know ! whether meat was killed on Sundays j now, but the tiire would come when it ■ would not be allowed, and the chilling i rooms would in that case he valuable. | In any ease it was not stood for meat J ' to hang in the open air during the warm , ' weather, and he was quite sure that if I ■ the butchvirs got over their prejudices :ind gave the chilling system a fair triid. they would usp it continually. It i w;is a constant practice in America, and chilled beef brought us much i"i the States and England as the unchiiied; besides which many people believed it improved the meat to bo kept awhile, aa it became tenderer. If the Council adopted the proposal it would not have to pay any fixed lump sum for the ser- j vice, but the cost would bp regulated by tbs quantity of slaughtering doni, the company's only payment being the fees stated, and it was provided that the company should increase the accommodation the instant it was necessary. He believed that if the Council itself took up the work it would cost £20.000 for the abattoirs alone, and if freezing or chilling works, were added the cost would be very considerably increased, added to ■which would be the annual cost of maintenance. If it were heavy the I Council's charges would be heavy and the butchers would hand it on to the public. If the company's scheme were adopted the Council would be at little expense, for the staff required would be a coEpetent man to act as inspector and j manager and a clerk. By this means ths Council would be enabled to charge tbe smallest possible fee to the butchers and thus save the consumer rates and dear prices for meat. A MATTER OF CUSTOM. The Mayor referred to the fact that the details of the Company's offer were published in a daily paper before any member of the City Council save himself had seer, the letter which was laid before the committee that evening for the first tune. The question was a public one in which the eomtnuTirty was greatly interested, but at the same time it was a well-known Parliamentary rule that wben matters of this sort were referred to a committee they were supposed to be private until they were laid before the House. The "Auckland Star" had some days previous to the publication of the company's lefcteT come to him about it anil adked permission to publish it. He had explained that he did not think it would be proper to do so. and the newspaper agreed not to on that grorrnd. It was merely a matter of principle, and he only wished to say that while he did not exactly regard the action of the "Herald" as a breach of faith, it was not in aecordamre with the custom in dealing with public bodies. The immediate outcome of the publication of the proposal was a further offer by Hellaby Bros., which he had received that evening and would lay beiare the committee. Mr Barugh apologised, and explained that his reason for giving the letter to the press was that the masters butchers were to be present at the meeting, and he wanted them to know what the company proposed. E. & W. HKLLABY, LT3TS, OFFER. The offer of R. and W. Hellaby, Ltd., was then read to the committeeThe Compaay reminded the ConHcil that it was still prepared to sell tite 24 acres freehold land adjoining the Freezing Works at Wesfctieid, fronting main road and the railw-ary. This was the property recently oSered the Council and surveyed by the municipal officers. Sh.ould the Council decide not to purchase the Land, the Company was prepared to erect abattoirs on the land to the satisfa«tion ox the Council according to plans and specifications drawn at the Company's cost by an architect approved by tbe Council, and to grant the Council a lease of the abattoirs for :>0 years. The Company pointed out that the land in question adjoined cuttle saleyards, and there was an existing railway siding into the property. The Company had chilling rooms and freezing chambers of its own at the Railway Wharf, and were prepared to provide in the lease that tJsese rooms and ehambere be available upon payment of the ordinary charges to all persons using the abattoirs. As rent the Company would accept a fixed sum per head for al! animals slaughtered under the provisions of the ISOO Act, and suggested the r follo-wicg aa a reasonable rate per head:

Cattie, 5d.; rasives. 3d.; pigs., ttd.-j aheep J w lambs, Jd.: all blood <rf the slaughter- ' ed animals to be the property erf the Company. The buildings would be of such dimensions as to allow aiapia accommodation for the slaughter each daof 100 cattle, SOO sheep, and 5S> pigs, and if at any time during the term oE 30 years further accommodation were required the Company would bind itself to provide such accommodation. The Company would in the lease bind itself to provide all required yards and enclosures, hoisting and other machinery, light, hot and cold water, ior drinking and cleansing purposes, aiid if the Council so required would enter into eo-ntraer.s v-ith the Council for slaughtering ail animals and loading trucks, waggons, carts, or other vehicles with the meat. Should the Council decide to keep the slaughtering under its o\,-n control and management, the abattoirs and all roads, drains, and yards appurteoant thereto should be maintained and kept by the Company in good repair and condition to the satisfaction of the Council. Lastly, a provision could be inserted in the lease under which the Company would bind itself to sell tile land, buildings, and appurtenances to the Council at the termination of or during the lease at a sum to be agreed, or failing a°reement to be nxed by arbitration'in° the usual manner. THE PROPOSAL EXPLAINED. Mr Wing, on behalf of the Hellaby Company, said that while the Company would prefer things to stay as they were, still as the abattoirs were to be erected, the Company had prepared this scheme, and the master butchers were most of them in sympathy with, it- The Com-pany had been carrviisg , on business in the city for a long time, and its members knew what the butahvrs wanted, and thpy thought this met them, it was the intention of the Company, if the pror>c.sal wore adopted, to use ther whole (,f tilt , ICO acres of gr<xxl grass land, of which the area offered for salito the Council was part. The trouble seemed to be the delivery into carts at the Auckland end. If the cans were to tako delivery immediately thp meat arrived there wouJd be endless consu.ii.jD and trouble, and the Company was in t. position to overcome this difficulty easily. It possossfid a cool chamber en the Railway Wharf, where the meat could be kept and taken away at the convenience of the butchers. The charge the Company proposed was less than that in the earlier proposal, and the Council would thus able to the cost io the consumer to a minimum. BUTCHERS FAVOUR HELLABY'S. Mr J. Swan, representing a section of the master butchers, that they de?rred to keep a≤ close to Hellaby's as possible. They Lac ne guarantee that all trruns would bo compelled to slaughter at the one place- He believed it was stated that che Heliaby Company wov.ld not have permission to slaughter where it did for the next ton years. That vvouid hardly be fair to the other butrhers, for Hellaby's did 50 per cent, of the trade. Cγ. Parr: I thought it was 99 per cent! Mr Swan: Not quite that. THE POSITION OF HELLABY. LTD. The Mayor answered Mr Swan's remark by saying , that he had had an interview with the Minister since th* statement was made, and h-ad ascertained that HeLLiby's slaughtering would not be permitted where it was for more than two years. Thp Agricultural Department was pressing for the establishment of th»" municipal abattoirs, and he pointed out that it was manifestly unfair to make the Council expend a large sum in putting up the abattoirs when there might be nothing for them to kill. He was then told that Heilaby's limit would be two yearsMr J. Marks, aho representing the master butchers, said that the Hellaby proposal suited them far better than the Freezing Company's. It was closer to the catT'.e yards to which the sales were to be shortly removed, and ifc was easiei to get at than the Wcstfield site. Then the cattle had to be fed. and where ou the Hellaby site there were 100 acres oi grass hind, on the ether was nothing bat a bed of rocks. So far as (-hilling rooms wore po-ncrrsed. they would be little uho. brrause the public would not have diilied meat. Mr J. C. Allen (Freezing Company) said that thi> Railway Department would stop all trains but the expresses at the Freezing Company's siding, so that the Company was rust as well served as any place on the line. The object of the Company making the proposal was to bring the farmers intc closer contact with the butchers. THE COMMITTEE'S VIEWS. The Mayor said that he considered the question for the Cotraeil "was whether the offers submitted that evening were preferable to the Coticeirs doins the woxk Ltseli —a question of finance If it was found after inquiry that the Council could more beneficially carry oal the work ifcself. the . Council wotrld do it: if cm the other hand the proposal of the two Companies proved the better vray then no doubt one cou;d be adopted The Council would havp to ascertain tbt cost of the most- stiit&ble a~ba±toirs few the city and suburbs, the interest, tbi maintenance. Cra. Parr and Entrican endorsed the Mayor's view. Cγ. Bagnall said it was a question of getting the best servicf for the least possible money. Cγ. Casej agreed with the Mayor, and said he be lieved that in a short time all tht slaughtering would have to be done a 1 the municipal yards. He was very glaf these two Companies had come fo-rwarc with their offers. Cr. Grey agreed wit; the Mayor, and Cr. Julian expresset pleasure that the Companies had volxm teer.'d proposals, and said they shonlc be thoroughly considered. Mr Barngh then thanked the commit tee for its very courteous hearing, anc the deputations retired. The rest o: the deliberations of the committee oi the matter were privately conducted, anc the decision, will be connnunieated t( the City Council in due course.