BOBBY CALF TRADE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 119, 18 April 1940, Page 6

BOBBY CALF TRADE.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—ln the report of the Fanners’ Union meeting held in Feilding on February 23 last, the secretary stated that 90 per cent, of the Feilding district calves were slaughtered at Feilding. We, representing the freezing workers at Borthwick's works, state emphatically that this is contrary to fact; instead of 90 per cent, being killed in Feilding, 90 per cent, or more were transported by train and lorry and killed outside the district. Prior to the “Pool iSvstem” operating approximately £3OOO in wages were paid and spent,in Feilding hv those working on hobby calves. The present system lias put about 150 out of employment during the winter months. AA’e know of local farmers who brought their calves to Borthwick’s to he killed, but we were not allowed to take them in owing to the system operating, and they were compelled to send them to works outside the district, even as far afield as Hawke’s Bay and Patea. We think everyone will agree that there is- something radically wrong with a system that compels livestock, and more particularly animals only a few days olu, to he transported miles and held sometimes for days, before being slaughtered, when they can and should be killed within a matter of a few hours at the local works. We hope that during the coming season the local district calves will come to the works and abattoirs in Feilding where they rightly belong and that the Farmers’ Union eaii then truthfully say 90 per cent, of the local calves were killed in Feilding. Could we find out from the secretaries of pools and the Farmers’ Union where flic following districts’ calves were killed: —(a) Rangiwahia, (b) Apiti. (e) lvinibolton, (d) Halcomhe, (e) Stanway? Is it not a fact that the calves from Apiti and Rangiwahia were put on trucks at the Feilding railway station at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, stood there until about 11 o’clock at night, and then sent on to either Wanganui or Patea? A copy of the above letter has been forwarded to the Farmers’ Union, S.P.C.A., and the Chamber of Commerce, Feilding.—We <arc, etc., G. H. GUARD, President, R. F. BELL, Secretary, Feilding Branch, Wellington Freezing Workers’ Union.