MEAT FOR IMPERIAL AUTHORITIES

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 81, 5 April 1916, Page 3

MEAT FOR IMPERIAL AUTHORITIES

ARE OLD BULLOCKS BEING

KILLED ?

ALLEGATIONS DENIED BY

OFFICIALS,

Allegations have been made, from ■lime tx> time iha; oid working .bullocks are Icing- sent into the. Nelson Freezing Works to be converted into meat for the Imperial' authorities. As late as Monday (reports the Colonist) the statement was made that ..a number of these animals wera at the works waiting to be killed, and with a view to investigating the matter, Messrs T. A. H. , Field, M.P., and W. ,W. Snodgra'ss (secretary of the Empire Defence Fund),. accompanied by newspaper, representatives, motored out to Stoke, where they met Mr G. W. Mitchell, manager of the City abattoir, returning from, the works. The object of the visit having been explained. Mr Mitchell stated that the animals in the yard, and being "killed, were not up to ths stamdard required by the imperial authorities, end had therefore been rejected by him. He also assured tho delegation that the greatest care had been exercised in regard k> tho quality of meat killed and' shipped to the Imperial Government. Asked as to whati would be clone with the ■■.carcases of Ihe nnnmals that were not np to the standard,, Mr Mitchell said ho did not know what \v:v.t\d be done with them, but the probabilities we're that they would be sent to the boiling down works. Asked if it was not unusual to have a number of working bullocks sent to the- freezing works .to be killed, Mr Mitchell saiid that in the North Island it wiis quite- a usual ! thing for these animals to bo sent in jto be slaughtered. ■ Dealers wont round the country picking them up { to make what they could out of the I skins, v bones, and" fnt, and farmers I sold' them -when their time of usefulf x'.sss was finished in order to get rid lof them. Ho. presumed the Fame | thing applied to Nelson, but could I. not .say. Mr J. Allan Mitchell, manager of tho Nelson Freezing Works, when spoken to on the subject, also »aye \ his. assurance that the animals } ieferred to were not being- '< .slaughtered for the Imperial '< authorities. Ho f>aid that old cmvs ■md hor.ses were lrecjuently sent to the works to be killed :ind boiled down. Only animals that came up to the required stiuulard wore boing : .sent to the Imperial authorities.1