ABATTOIR FEES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20176, 3 March 1931, Page 11

ABATTOIR FEES.

V t 1 1 ' QUESTION OF REFUND. CITY COUNCIL'S DISCUSSION. The City Council discussed last night a proposal to refund s portion of the fees paid by butchers lor tho use .if tho City and decided to hold the matter over for a fortnight, The Abattoir, Markets, and Reserves Committee reported to tho Council as follows: - 1 In further reference to tho claim made by the Canterbury. Master Butchers' Industrial Union of Employers for refund of the sum of £5948 3s Id, being the' amount which the master butchers consider has been . paid .. by them in excess of the amount which the Council is allowed to collect in accordance with tho provisions of the , Slaughtering and Inspoclions Act, less tho sum already refunded, to the various meat' export companies; the com- . mitteo has made further, investigations with regard to the matter, and is of the opinion thai any refunds made to the master butchers should be in respect only of the years for which refunds were made to meat export companies, namely, 1926-27, 1927-28, and 1928-29. The fees received in excess of the amount provided in the Act for these years amounted to £6683 9s sd. The Minister for Agriculture, when considering the claims of the meat export companies, was ,of opinion that the sum of *£3043 should be refunded; but suggested that . the Council should negotiate with tho companies with re-gard-to the matter. After negotiations had been ctfcrried: out,' the companies agreed-to apcegt refunds amounting, to' £2677 12s. After deducting the amount »which the Minister considered the companies were entitled to, and also deducting estimated bad debts, it is us-

certained that the sum 'of £8552 13s ib ' the amount q£ excess profit remaining ' Ln hand. "j I Special Legislation.' ' In view o£ the fact-that, the riieat'exr port companies were prepared to accept 1 by way of refund a reduced amount, I the committee is of opinion -that any refund made to the' master butchers should be in-the same proportion. This* proportion works .out 1 at £3126 Is,-and the Master Butchers >, Industrial Union, of Employers has intimated that < ,it would be prepared to accept thisamounfc, in settlement of' its claim, , s There is no provision in the Act for the refunding of fees to master butchers, however,/counsel to ! .the Municipal Afcso.-, ciation having s held that any 'such payment would be illegal. , The,committee therefore recommends that application- be.mtfde to the Minister for .Agriculture for special authorising legislation' for thiß expenditure, which .would be made from the abattoir cash account. It may be noted that in connexion with the proposed refunds, -if authorised,, the Master Butchers' union has undertaken to obtain from' each of . its members entitled to participate in the' refund an assignment for,their respective amounts to be paid direct tothe Association. "No Legal Obligation." Cr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., said that as there was no legal obligation to' pay over the money, he thought that the report should be .a fuller one. , Cr. E. H. Andrews said that while, there was no legal-obligation to>pay the butchers, the committee thought that it had a moral duty to do so. It would be quite a long time before the position was cleared up. " Cr. A. W. Beaven: Where is the money coming from! Cr. Andrews: Prom, the abattoir account. There are a lot of profits. Cr. A. A. McLachlan 'suggested that the fees could be reduced temporarily,, thus using up some of the,profits. Butchers' Rights. Cr. H.' T. J. 'Thacker:'' Have' the butchers legal rights! Cr. Andrews: No, but they have moral rights. .... : Cr. Thacker: Give the money to • t1.9 Coal and Blanket Fund. Cr. D. G. Sullivan, moved that the matter should be held over for a fortnight. >, J Cr.. T.. H. Bufcjterfleld: It has been held over a long time Already..lt is time the- whole thing was settled. 1 AT special committee was * set lip ito gt* into the question two i years ago. ' ] Cr. M,'B, Lyons said that the'question .was whether it spas xealfe amoral., n ' '%'JV

claiip. or not,, .'Be, w»s,not. it, lie said. The, Minister for Agrifcttlj turo 'fees. It wbS unfortunate that the" Uouu-' ■ cil had to hand over e large turn to the freezing companies, position war.by? no means "onr all . fonts': with that one. The law could the' matter!-an", & jfriendly action. V ; Or. ! W. H. Williamson asid that the' Town Olprk hrd assured tlio committee on one occasion 'thflf'tha butchers" t >*? (» w, i » Or. J.' ParlaAc stated that It -wa< doubtful if 'the. butrhors s»ad a* claim. He thought that as business butcherswould tho charges 'on to their'customers.} * r "«■' ' f; The-Mayor (Mr J. K.' Arohe?} v «v pressed the opinion that Or.' PArJpntf-was, about right' when <lte'suggested that the butchers* had passed tlio .charges "on to their customers, thought- that it >was the should get"" thtfc benefit''and that tbe'>but'cli®Ts • shouldsupply a list of those customers" to 'ejxf able this to be done." He did 'iioi; ' l/ &gre&3 wifch ! Or.v Sullivan's amendment, as ho could 1 not see that .any " good purpose could be served by postponing the totat*' ter. '' CrJ Thacker moved that. the -moiiey.bQ' divided between' the. Fund, the Salvation ttnd ' tho reliefs depots. ■ • , - * «Pm afraid you ? cannot 1 do Hhat/t said the Mayors *" / J Cr. Sullivan*s motion Ttfair carried by eight votes to seven; -' "■ r ? \ ~" ' ryVJS