Abattoir Drainage System Strongly Criticised

Chronicle (Levin), 22 June 1949, Page 4

Abattoir Drainage System Strongly Criticised

"Our drainsge , faci ities are :ijow almost unab.e to cope with our re- ] quirements, partieula.hy ' through i the winter months, and a new j drain appcars to be the oniy shu- : tion,y reported 'ihe manager of t'he i muhieipal abattoirs, Mr. ;F. % Lar- ; sen, to the Levin Borough Councihs meeting. on Monday night. . •Cr. a. W. Barton went further i when describing the situation. "I is'an unho.y mess. ^This is start mg - but a fact. The scum and fi th in these open drains is abominabie.' It's not a" drain but a cesspmi," Xt had beeh said - of »Wm thav he- had not done anything • about these matters when .he had been on the" council in 1943. "That might be true," he said, "but I want to do sOmething about it in 1949. "Thousands Of pounde ster'ing are going to waste in Levin," continued Cr. Barton. • "Pa.n.nevirke has shown us the way using theecwonderfui manures and putting them back into the soil. Ws . hav&. got to do 'something * right away. aii the trenches are fihed at the abettoirs. There is no outlet. I did the plumbing work at ihe Wellington abattoirs, one of the biggest in the North Island, and I know what I'm- talking about. I want to do something about the wonderfui matter which is just going to waste. It Could be soM and would pay for the cost of a sewage farm scheme. "We've got to cut a new traek so let- us get busy." The council had not overiooked this when ihe 'drainage scheme was bejng drawn up, said Cr. W. Telfo.rd. "We intend to utilise the abattoir waste when the scheme is put into operation." He added that for years now this trouble had been cropping up at the abattoirs. New trenches had been bulldorie'd out and the trouble had r.ighted itself. There was nothing to worry about. "These sweepihg statements of Cr, Parton's are not getting us very far," said Cr. R. B. Antclrff . They. were only taking UP the counciks time. Cr. Barton h'ad condemmed the waterworks, the gasworks and now the abattoirs, but he thought . that the council shouid have something more speciflc. "Give us a plan and an estimate of the cost for fche waterworks, the new gas retorts and the abattoirs," he added. Cr. A. J. H. Allen : Until I received a copy of the agenda I knew nothing about a break down in the drainage system at the abattoirs. Let us have a discussion but not* here. It shou'd go> to the committee responsible first -and they can'repori and reeommend to the counci".. '■I .cannot credit Cr. Parton's statemeht that thousan'dsof pounds in . compost is- going , to waste. I feel that if we got down to it we would find it would not pay," said the Deputy-Mayor, Mr, R, A. Frederikson. It shouid not be forgot-tencthat-Dannevirke's scheme was being subsidised. The council had decided not to waste time' in consideringvcomposting until a later date. ■ He suggested that the manager's report shouid be referred to the abattoir committee for urgent attention.