HANDLING OF PIGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 700, 27 June 1929, Page 9

HANDLING OF PIGS

ABATTOIRS’ FEES CLAIMED^ GIT-Y COUNCIL SUES POWC BUTCHER Facilities for handling pigs at the Westfield abattoirs were discussed in an action heard by Mr. Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Ce-urt yesterday and today. The City Council is claiming £142 fees from Fred Harrison, trading as the Hydra Bacon Factory, for the pigs he had killed at the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company and subsequently converted into bacon and sold in the city. Mr. A. H. Johnstone appeared for the plaintiffs and Mr. L. P. Leary represented the defendant, r TMIE council's case was conclude*! yesterday afternoon. The abattoirs manager. Robert Wm. Rugg. denied under cross-examination that he had ever been compelled to refuse stock for chilling on account of lack of accommodation. He admiuetl that on one occasion some of Harrison's meat stored in the chiller bad been tainted, but he ascribed this to the way the fat was stowed. He understood that in refusing to pay tive hanging fees now claimed the defends ant was acting in accordance with ti\£ general impression that fees were nog payable on bacon. DANGER OF TAINTED MEAT Presenting his defence. Harrison stated that he slaughtered 21,000 pig* last year, the greatest proportion of which were converted into bacon and ham. It was unsafe to handle bacon pigs in hot weather without their having been chilled on account of the danger of becoming tainted. He had never been given any opportunity of fixing how many pigs should be killed, on his behalf at the abattoirs, he said. On one occasion he had suffered considerable waste when the aba slaugntered a large number of pig* l during the week-end and .-ould not store them. In addition there was insufficient accommodation at th*| abattoirs to deliver meat as he required it. One disastrous week-end. 25. per cent, of his pigs stored at abattoirs were affected. INCREASE OF BUSINESS • The bacon curing business in Aurh,« land has increased immensely in th« last four or five years,” stated witness. However, he considered this advance could not have taken place without chilling facilities. The public now demanded singed bacon, a very different article which was accepted 15 years ago. Had chilling accommodation not been provided it would not h* possible to supply requirements. The last year he had pigs slaughtered at the abattoirs he had occasionally been unable to obtain chilling space for his stock. He strongly refuted the suggestion that he ceased slaughtering at the abattoirs because he was unable to obtain the runners, and also denied that the manager had offered to procure supplies. His real complaint was he could not get the pigs delivered in a condition for curing, many carcases being so far gone that they could not be treated. The abattoirs were receiving too many pigs to handle in the accommodation available; too many pigs were killed in too small a space and. consequently the carcases were hung in a condition where they were likely to putrefy. He was paying slightly greater killing fees now. than at tha abattoirs, he said. SUSCEPTIBLE TO INFECTION i The works superintendent of the ! Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, ! Alfred Souter, stated that the successful abattoirs at New Plymouth, Wa- | nganui and Palmerston North provided I chilling accommodation. Pig carcases j were the most susceptible to infection. 1 Chilling was therefore essential, and the meat should be held for 24 hours after killing. (Proceeding. >