ABATTOIR COSTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 February 1940, Page 6

ABATTOIR COSTS

REARRANGEMENT OF KILLING HOURS CONTRACT FOR SLAUGHTERING. BOROUGH COUNCIL'S DECISION. With a view to reducing rising costs under present conditions at the Masterton Municipal Abattoir, a rearrangement. has been made in respect to killing hours. Amended hours and also the adoption of contract killing were decided upon at last night's meetingof the Borough Council. The chairman of the Abattoir Committee. Councillor A. D. Low. stated that foul - tenders had been received for contract killing, and the lowest, that of Mr C. Elvidge. of South Invercargill. which was based on so much per head of stock killed was recommended for acceptance. It would be necessary to give the staff notice of the termination of its services as al March 31. and to empower the committee to call for applications for the position of manager at a wage of £5 per week, with a free house. The committee's recommendations were adopted. Councillor Low referred to recent meetings of the Abattoir Committee, at which the proposals were discussed with representatives of the Master Butchers’ Association with a view to reducing increasing costs. Councillor Low explained that that meeting had been called to lay before the master butchers the present position of abattoir costs. He referred to the increase in Sunday killings, which now operated throughout the greater part of the year. and.was attendant with overtime rates of pay. particularly the wage rate for casuals, which was £4 per day or part thereof. A general discussion ensued. at the conclusion of which the butchers present expressed their willingness to entertain a proposal of eliminating as far as practicable all Sunday killing. The following motion agreed to by the butchers was confirmed later by all their members and Mr J. A. Betts: (1) That in future Friday killings be discontinued; (2) That killing be done on Saturday morning; (3) That no stock be killed on Sunday except at such increased charges as may be fixed by the Council based upon the additional cost of killing on that day. The hope was expressed, said Councillor Low, that the needs of local butchers would be considered in Saturday killings in relation to stock killed for consumption outside the abattoir district, should there be more stock offering on that day than could conveniently be slaughtered.