FILTHY CONDITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 July 1938, Page 6

FILTHY CONDITION

STOCK TRUCKING YARDS AT MASTERTON PROTEST BY AUCTIONEERING FIRMS. ENDORSED BY FARMERS’ UNION. The unsatisfactory state of the trucking yards at the Masterton Railway Station was condemned in strong terms in a letter, signed by ten stock firms, received at today’s meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union. The meeting decided to endorse the protests by the firms. “We wish to draw your attention to the filthy condition and very) unsatisfactory and unhealthy state of the sheep and cattle trucking yards at the Masterton Railway Station,” the letter stated. “The loading banks are very obsolete,” it added, “and in a bad state of repair and do not assist towards the quick and efficient loading of stock. These yards were erected many years ago and practically nothing has been done for years in the way of improvements.

“At present the pens are nothing more than open cesspools and a danger to the health of the town, with no proper system of drainage. The filth in some of the yards is such that drovers have difficulty in getting sheep to enter the pens at all. “We would suggest that the.loading banks and yards be rebuilt on modern lines and that every pen be concreted. At present there is no system of cleaning the yards. If the pens were concreted as at other stations they could be easily hosed down and kept reasonably clean.” LETTER TO DEPARTMENT. A copy of the following letter forwarded by the same firms to the Stationmaster at Masterton was also before the meeting: “In view of the thousands of sheep, besides cattle trucked from Masterton Railway Station each season, we think we are justifiably entitled to the up-to-date yards and facilities which are available at smaller stations than Masterton.

“We sincerely trust your Department will give this matter the urgent attention which the above conditions demand and that the work be put in hand at the earliest possible opportunity, before another season commences. Would it not be possible to have the same convenient yards in Masterton, similar to those in Carterton, but on a larger scale?” POSITION VERY SERIOUS. The president, Mr Hugh Morrison, said he did not think members realised that the trucking yards were in such a bad state. It was a very serious thing to have filthy yards and the danger of sheep'contracting foot-rot was extremely likely. He moved that the protests by the stock firms be endorsed. Mr L. T. Daniell agreed with the remarks of the president. On one occasion a dead sheep was left in the yards for several days, when the place was a mass of flies. Nearby residents had been forced to get the Borough Inspector to visit the yards and see that they-were thoroughly cleaned up. "I have often wondered why this matter has not been mentioned before,” observed Mr J. M. James. “In wet weather,” he added, “you may step up to your ankles in filth. The drainage seems to me to fall the wrong way. The yards are certainly not up-to-date and could be made much more convenient. I have often had trouble there and some of my cattle have got away because the loading and unloading facilities are not efficient.” The motion was carried.