THE HANDLING OF STOCK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 257, 3 November 1906, Page 7

THE HANDLING OF STOCK.

The necessity for the running of a night stock train from the Wa'kato was brought before the Agricultural As- ' soeiation yesterday by Mr I\. Salmon. ■ who said that th- -, matter was a serious ,;. one vrith the fanner and butcher. They v should, he said, make representations to ■ tin* Railway Department urging them to , put on sufficient trucks for the carriage jl of stock, and ulso to run a lrglit train, j T Yesterday some Waikato stock had to j J be left behind owing to a shortage of j r truck*, and only reached the market nt | ! 4 p.m. The slock was carelessly hand- j j led. and it was no uncommon thing in i < R hind-quarter of beef weighing, say ! ( 2201b5. to find 40 destroyed throughly hip bru'se. which extended through the j, suet, undercut, loin, and rump, the most j 1 saleable part of the beast and that in J which the profit wa« made. These i j bruises arose through vain of care in 1 the truck? and in the saleyards. and th- ' J Association should =re that in any fu- i ■ t.ure yards there were no posts against j' which cattle might bruise themselves. I : Mr E. Hall, the secretary, said that j, thp Waikato Association was already j' moving in the direction of g p tting a! j night train. ! , Sir Rutherford s.iiu that a frootl deal I; nf damage was caused by the unionnt of ! . shunting which went on. Cattle were j ' trucked in th« momma;, and were left ! ■ n1 station aiier station, often not :>r- : riving until midnight. They were r (d.iecd next the engine and were shunted every time a truck was dropped instead ol being placed next the passenger ; carriages and only moved when absolutely necessary. If night trains were run j the cattle could be Jondei] at n : ght, reach the market by dnylipht, and be in thn purchaser's paddock- next evening. The chairman suggested that the As-r sooiation should al?o bring before the , Department the necessity for having! double floors on sheep and cattle trucks. ! lie al?0 sr.id that considerable loss was ■ occasioned by there being no aeootn- | modafion at the sale yards for paddock- ' 'ing stock. Three or lour shillings a head had been lost on sheep this week. ! nr.d it rould only be accounted lor by the fact that there was no aceornmoAa- | lion for paddoeking them. j Mr Thomson said that the city had : only a small nrea at the ne-.v abattoirs. . end ihe pos'tion would not he much improved when the now buildings were erected, but it was pointed nut that J the Cr.iinril would probably lej?e the ■ Association's ground for paddoeking ' purposes, j On Mr Salmon"? motion a deputation consisting of the president. Messrs Die.'c. Rutherford. Peott. and Salmon was appointed to wnit on the Traffic Manager j for Rsilwn vs. : ' I