The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JUNE 10, 1901. THE ABATTOIRS.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 128, 10 June 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JUNE 10, 1901. THE ABATTOIRS.

The question of public abattoirs is to again come before tbe Borough Council to-morrow evening, and it is to be hoped that some definite action will be taken. The Act provides that abattoirs'must be established by April next, and, in view of the large programme that the Council has in hand in the matter of water and drainage, an early settlement of the aforementioned question should be made. The choice is at present between public abattoirs and the Gisborne Breezing Company’s amended proposal, as laid before the meeting last Wednesday. Municipal abattoirs would, no doubt, be desirable, but their construction would mean that the Council would have to raise an additional loan. The Nelson abattoirs have increased the indebtedness of that borough by £7,500, and, reckoning interest on capital, repairs, depreciation of property, wages, and inspection, cost upwards of £1,600 per annum. It is, no doubt, a model abattoir, but it does not pay, and that is the point the ratepayers have to consider. It either means the ratepayers must pay the cost directly or by increased prices of meat. It is justly contended that Gisborne does not require so expensive a system, nor even the outlay made at Napier, over £4OOO. But it has never yet been shown that it can be done for less, and when the plans, the ground, and the buildings are paid for it will probably be found to fall little short of the latter sum. Mr Gilruth two years ago told the Council that he doubted whether the erection of the abattoirs would be profitable, and the Nelson experience may be taken as an object lesson to Gisborne. The Gisborne Breezing Company’s proposal enables the whole difficulty to be temporarily ended by the Ist of July.

Mr Gilruth on the occasion already referred to, suggested that one of the Freezing Company’s works should be utilised. Nelson Brothers’ works are not obtainable, but without any cost to the borough ratepayers, the other works sro ayailable. The Company offer the use of tfyeir buildings for three months to test the practicability of the proposed arrangement. They will provide paddocking and pay the cost of inspection (which would sayo an outlay of £2OO a year to tho Borough), and, should everything work satisfactorily, announce their willingness to provide what other accommodation may be required at tho works when their own season for slaughtering has commenced. In

return the butene?:? would- pay 5s per head, for the ■■ slaughter of cattle and calves, Is for sheep, and 2s 6d for pigs, the butchers to remove tho fat, offal, etc., and have the use of all the by-products, Jn addition, they would be piovided with cool storage accommodation, an important item in summer, at veiy reasonable rates. At Nelson the butchers have to pay 4s per head for cattle, Is 6d for pigs and calves, and 8d for sheep and lambs, wkilo the ratepayers have an additional debt of £7,500 secured by a rate of Ud in the pound. The pro-

posal seems to be a feasible and remunerative one for the butchers, entailing no more expense than they are " at present put to in their prfvafo and having no objectionable feature other than the necessity of driving tho beasts through the town. A number of cattle are brought from inland and would have to be travelled through the streets, but is it so serious a matter as speakers at Wednesday’s meeting would make us believe ? No sensible person would

dream of taking cattle through the town in the busy part of the day, nor is it permissible to do so. In the early morning the streets are practically deserted, and surely the butchers can see their way to stretch a point and drive the stock through with the utmost care. The scheme of the Gisborne Freezing Company is both tangible and simple. It frees the borough and ratepayer? from all expense, and meets the demands of the Act. The offer of cool storage is convonient, for without such a place in summer the consumer is often compelled to eat meat slaughtered in the morning. The butchers have made no serious alternative pro-

posal that would save extra cost to the people, and as no one can possibly be harmed by giving the Company’s latest proposal a trial, the butchers might gracefully submit to the public welfare and relieve the Abattoirs Committee of their difficult task. It is to the interest of every resident to make Gisborne a model town, and judging from their past careers no one has been more public-spirited than the gentlemen who are affected by the Act. With the Borough Council rests the final decision, and they may be relied upon to do the best thing for the ratepayers.

The Elingamite on Saturday morning took 167 passengers from this port.

Messrs J. Peckover and Co. have a change of advertisement in this issue. As high as <£MO has been paid in the Thames district for remounts for South Africa.

Mabel Frost, single, aged 23, committed suicide by hanging at Onehunga. She had been strange for some time.

The order of the prizes in the City Band junior contest was Lionel Sherriff first, A. Morgan second, and G. Douglas third. In the current number of the Weekly Press, there arc a couple of Gisborno photos—the City Baud aud the cricket team that went on tour to Napier. Mr E. A. Slack, one of the proprietors of the Gisborne Times, has been commissioned to represent several leading English journals at the Royal celebrations. New South Wales has passed an Act prohibiting the importation of New Zealand potatoes affected with scab. Shippers will do well to note this. It is reported that eggs aro selling at 6s per dozen at Auckland at present—tho abnormal price being due to the projected visit of tho Duko aud Duchess of Cornwall.

Mr A. Wheeler, formerly assistantpurser on the Mokoia, arrived at Gisborne on Saturday morning to take the place of Mr W. Hamblett, who has been promoted from the Union Company’s Office to Dunedin.

The sitting of tho Native Land Court at Awanui has adjourned, and His Honor Judge Bathain returned to Gisborne by the Omapere yesterday. A number of matters in connection with the Court will be dealt with by Judge Batham in Gisborne.

Horse-owners are reminded that nominations in connection with .the above races, to bo held on Tuesday and Thursday, July 9th and 11th, close with the Secretary (Mr M. G. Nasmith) on Tuesday next, June 11th, at 9 p.m. The weights will be declared on Friday, Juno 28th. In dealing with an affiliation case at Christchurch, Mr Bishop, S.M., said he failed to see why tho country should be put to considerable expense in rounding up the fathers of illegitimate children. Tho law allowed costs against such men, and when the case came up again ho would probably grant costs. Football is now a fine art, and apparently calls for careful exposition. At a meeting of the Referees’ Association at Christchurch one of tho members mooted the advisability of a series of lectures being given' by referees to players who might care to attend them. A definite decision as to the proposal was deferred. On Saturday the Assessment Court sat until after 5 p.m., dealing with the Haiti objections, of which only a few came on for hearing. In regard to an objection by Mr G. Bull, the valuation was sustained. A reduction of £42 was made in the valuation of the property of Mr Ross. If regard to Captain Tucker’s objections £2 an acre jyas taken off tho capital value on Haiti Hill, and £IOO was taken by consent off the valuation of the strip along the Wainui beach.

Further particulars with regard to the accident to the man S. Pollock, at Wherekopae last week, show that the injuriesustained were not of such a serious na-

ture as was feared. Dr Hughes made a careful examination of the injuries, aud found that Pollock had five ribs fractured. The broken ends of the ribs had penetratedthe lung, causing a certain amount of laceration of the lung aud hemorrhage. He attended to the injuries, and advised that the patient be. not removed into town as the jolting might cause further trouble. There is keen disappointment among the juvenile population because the school cadets from this ■ district are not to be included in the number invited to Christchurch. This will be a relief to many parents, but it is most unfair that the boys should have their hopes raised in this way, to be disappointed after preparations had been completed. A Canterbury school committee had been invited to send a number of children to take part in one phase of the Christchurch display; a letter was sent asking what tho proportion should be to each teacher, and the Committee received the reply that there must be only ono child to each teacher.

The horses to. be used by tho representatives of the East Coast Mounted Rifles at the Royal reception at Wellington are now on the way overland. Yesterday morning tho party in charge left town, being escorted as far as Murewai by other troopers. The party comprise Quarter-Master-Sergeant Hellier Evans, Sergeant Fairlie, Farrier J. W. Parker, Bugler A. D. Sherriff, Troopers Bolton, Matthews, D. Parker, Willson, S. Jones, and Hapu. Tho other troopers leave for Wellington by Wednesday’s steamer. The party in chargo of the horses would have a rough trip, as heavy rain set in yesterday morning. It was expected they would reach Nuhaka by last even; ing.