Manamatu Herald. TUESDAY. JUNE 24, 1879. SLAUGHTER LICENSES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 85, 24 June 1879, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. TUESDAY. JUNE 24, 1879. SLAUGHTER LICENSES.

« _ The Slaughterhouses Act, 1877, is, like all Acts of Parliament, a mixed production, and appears capable of accommodating the proverbial coach - and four without the least trouble. Section 22 provides as follows : — If any person, without being duly licensed, shall keep a slaughterhouse. ■ or place for slaughtering cattle intended for sale, or barter, or for shipping, and not being an abattoir lawfully erected or provided, or a slaughterhouse licenced by the Council of any corporate district, or if any person shall slaughter, or catiao to lie slaughtered, contrary to the provisions of this Act, any cattle in any honso or place, not being an abattoir, "nnd nob being a slaughterhouse duly licensed under this Act, such person shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding < ten pounds for each and every head of cattle so slaughtered. The plain, simple meaning of that clause evidently is (1) that no person shall be allowed to slaughter cattle for sale who is nob licensed, and (2) chat no animals shall be slaughtered at any place not licensed, being liable to a penalty of £10 for each offence. But on reading down the Act a little further, we find that Section 27 reads as follows : — Nothing in this Act contained shall extend to any person (not carrying on the trade of a slaughterman or butcher) slaughtering or permitting to be slaughtered ' at or upon his own residence, run, or i farm, [either small or large cattle] which ] he shall bo able to show are bona fide his , own property; provided that any person slaughtering more than two head of large ' cattle in any week who sells any part thereof •< shs.ll keep a book, in which he shall enter { the particulars of all such large cattle \ slaughtered at or upon his residence, run, or farm. 1 The above appears to be quite contrary to tlie spirit of clause 22. It J provides, in a directly opposite man- j ner to clause 22, that any per- ' son may slaughter his own catile * "at or upon his own residence, run, ( or farm." The only exception is, ( that if any one slaughters more than 1 two head of large cattle in one week, and sells pait of it, he must keep a record book. The exception m ade re- ' garding large cattle, and i he mention ; of a specific number, may be held < to imply that small cattle— sheep, for instance — may be slaughtered, and ] sold without a license, provided they ' are the bona fide property of the slaughterer. We hear that several persons in the district have been in the habit of slaughtering sheop upon their premises, nnd selling to neighbours the portions not required by themselves. This has been done by some in ignorance of the law, and by some under the impression that clause 27 of the Act gives them power i to do so. We also hear that the Inspec- 1 tor of Slaughterhouses has warned ' several .that they will be prosecuted ' unless they cease to kill, or obtain \ a.

license. Mr Poulo culled at our oifico a fow clays ago, and pointed nut that as he lives a long 1 distance from any town, lio is compelled !- slaughter sheep iipi.ii his own ore mises, the laborers working for him also being supplied. Yet he is threatened with prosecution unless a licouso is taken out. Mr Poole thinks it hard that he should be compellud to lake cut a license in the same way as those who devoto themselves entirely" to the business of butchers Upi'U this point, wo may remark that so far the County Council has not detci'niined the fee for licenses for small cattle. We think this sliould be done at once. We fully agree that in a scattered district every reasonable precaution should bo taken against sheep and cattle stealing, by means of licenses, records, &c. At the same time, we chink a license foe of £2 per annum for slaughtering small cattle would be quite sufficient. This would not press so hardly upon fanners who might desire to dispose of their surplus mutton, and \v. uld 'also meet such cases as that of Mr Poole. At present the licensed butchers complain. They say, "We are compelled to pay £5 per annum, simply because we are butchers ; if we kill a sheep in our back yards, we are liablo to a fine of £10 ; yet other persons who are not licensed are allowed to kill animals upon their premises, and then compete with us in our business." "We think it will be admitted slaughtering matters arc not at present on a saisfaetory footiug, and would suggest that the Council fix a fee for slaughtering small cattle, and also that the Inspector of Slaughter* houses should bring a test case before the K. M. Court, to settle the exact value of clause 27, as against clause 22. If we are not mistaken, a case bearing on the question was decided by tha E. M. at Wanganui a few weeks ago in favour of maintaining clause 22.