SALEYARDS DISPUTE TAKEN TO COURT

Chronicle (Levin), 15 January 1948, Page 7

SALEYARDS DISPUTE TAKEN TO COURT

Press Association)

. (Per

WELLINGTON, Jan. 14. ] Notice that Dalgety aiid Co., Lta., , proprietors of the saieyards at Uppei Hutt, intend to takp action in the Supreme Court against the Upper Huti i Borough Council. .has been received a. the omce of the couneil. ■ This is the.latest mov'e in the dispntv ] over the council 's refusal to allow an^ ] more stqck saies to ,be . held at the ! yards. ; | The council 's ban has 'also attracted j the attention of the Health Depart- ! ment, whose district medicai , oliicer, J Dr. Hubert tSmith, visited the yard> j yesterday and is to report to the Mm . j ister of Health, Miss Howard. 'j Solicitors for Dalgety and Co., Ltd., j ^lxave advised the council that at 'the ] expiration. of one month from the notice j given yesrerday, a wr.it of mandamus | will be sought in the Bupreme Court ] against the Mayor, .councillors and burgesses of Upper Hutt, to direct the council to register or alterhatively re new the registration of the cattle saie yards, on the ground- that the coun'ci. lias wr ongfully refused to do so. The Mayor of Upper Hutt, Mr. EvW. Nieolaus, sai^ last night: "I weiconie this announcement, because it shows | who the real culprits are. Dalgety 's j are acknowledging that the yards are not registered, and. they obviously can- I not go ahead with a sale in unregister ed yards." Mr. Nico'laus said that- Dr. ' Hubert' Smith visited the yards yesterday and would report to the Minister of Healtli, Miss. Howard. He himself ivould come in to Wellington today to seek a deiinite statement of the Health Depart-1 ment.'s vieAV on the matter, and would consult the council 's legal advisbrs about the action prcpo'sed by Dalgety and Co., Ltd. He .was satisfied, said Mr. Nieolaus, that it would be quite outside Ihe law for the firm to go ahead with the saie, and it was still his intention to take every means in his power to prevem • its being held.

Farmers' Attitude. The ban iinposed by the Upper Huti Borough Council on the use • of the saieyards in the town was absolutely unreasonable, said Mr. G. Bruce, oi Ohariu, president of the Makara-Hutt provincial district of Pedenated Farmers, in a statement yesterday. Mr. Bruce said he felt it his duty to poim out eertain features of the controversy over the use of the yards. ' ' In the lirst place it should _ be pointed out that the farmers of the district are entitled to carry on their business without arbitrary resinctions boing imposed on th'ein without notice," said Mr. Bruce:' "Had reasonatiie notice of intention to close -the yards been given, which would liave eiiabled them to be. transferred to an alterhative uite, no exception could be taken to this suggestion by the farming eonimunity. "The present proposal, however, is absolutely* unreasonable, and I sliall be very surprised if -the' law will take' o'tifer than this viewy of it. If Mr. Nieolaus and his Rouncil are prepared to act reasonalily', they will liud that ; the farniers )f the area will also . tbe reasonabie, but to 'act as the Upp^r Hutt Mayor and council have acted, leav'es farmers with no alternative "but to protect their interests. " There can be very little danger o-t mfection from the yards. The amount of grass which is growing in the yards shows that they afe eerfainly not in a dirty condi.tion, apd disprqves the contention of the Upper Hutt Borough Council that the yards are insanitary. ' ' ' On the other liand, the disclosure that night soil coilectiou is being carried out in full daylight must give rise to gravc misgivings in the niinds of the people, not only of Upper Hutt, but also of all those people who have to travel through tlie Upper Hutt area. I have heard of hunian beings suffenng from inl'antile paralysis, but I have never yet heard of a bullock, a heifer, or a sheep contracting the disease."