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11. There is no desire whatever on the part of the butchers to stop the meat companies ?— None whatever, but we wish them to be put entirely on the same footing as ourselves. .12. Mr. Buchanan.] You say that the meat companies should put the rejects through the public abattoirs, and not kill them at the freezing company's own establishment ?—Those for local consumption. 13. But, knowing, as a practical butcher, that rejects to a very large extent only crop up after killing—that is, the points on which they are rejected are only shown after killing—what would you do in such a case as that ?—Of that kind, where there is a question of overweight ? In case of underweight their grader would see to it through the outer yards, because they are not quite their weight. With regard to the other questions—those of underweight and under-quality —there is no doubt they would not be consumed. 14-. Hon. the Chairman.] As to compensation, you start with the butcher, and you say it would not be fair that he should bear the loss. You go and state further, in the case of the dealer, that he buys from the grazier and may sell to another dealer, and so on. What about compensation to these people ? —I think I have already put that—that we do not wish to dictate to you as to the way compensation should be allowed, but we do say, because you bring us to be inspected we had much rather you took it to the grazier ; and after we get our cattle clear of all diseases we shall have nothing but pure cattle, and shall not need the Inspector. Therefore we ask that we should not have to pay for the whole thing. Hon. the Chairman : The object of my question was that you, as a practical man, would give us assistance to get the Committee out of a difficulty. The witness : That is all I have to say. Mr. H. Moodx, of Auckland, representing sixty Auckland butchers, stated: During our discussion we have found this—that from Wanganui south the position of butchers is entirely different from those of the Auckland Province. A very large proportion of the meat from Wanganui southward has not the inspection for either live or dead meat as compared with what we have in the Auckland Province. Therefore our position is somewhat unique—we have both a live and a dead inspection; and lam here to-day to urge reasons before this Committee against the abolition of private slaughterhouses. I think we will come to that later on. I think I can corroborate the arguments laid down by the previous speaker with regard to clause 2, to the extent that the Auckland Association are of opinion the Government should have a more thorough inspection of swine in the Auckland market. A very large quantity of swine are sent into the public market that have had no inspection, and they are of anything but good quality. It is known to those in the Auckland Province that there are numerous pig-farms. The refuse is deposited in the paddocks, and if the farmers have not a sufficient supply of pigs on hand to eat up this refuse decomposition will set in. My instructions were to lay that before you and ask you to do what you think best. Turning to the whole question of slaughterhouses, clauses 18 to 23, these clauses evidently apply to private slaughterhouses only. What is lacking through this Act is, there is no provision made for the renewal of present slaughterhouse licenses, as far as we could see; and that is unfair to us, if, by the passing of this Bill, private slaughterhouses are of no value. Will you consider the latter part of clause 19, which says, "No license shall be granted in respect of a slaughterhouse in any district in which there is established a registered abattoir available for slaughtering stock." I can understand that. That means that if there is an abattoir in my district I must be bound to slaughter my cattle at such abattoir, and not at a private slaughterhouse. But clause 22, subsection (2) says, "The license while in force shall authorise the licensee to slaughter, in the slaughterhouse specified therein, stock in any part of the colony outside a district where an abattoir is established, but not for export beyond the colony." Now, we take, for instance, a slaughterhouse that is under a local body or district adjacent to the City of Auckland. If this Bill comes into force he shall be allowed —and the Bill provides for it—he shall be allowed to hold his license until such time as an abattoir is established in that district. But mark this, gentlemen: that, as my slaughterhouse is situated outside Auckland City, I would not be allowed to dispose of my meat in the City of Auckland, because of their having public abattoirs there. Neither would Messrs. Hellaby, who have a very large and complete plant in the Newton Borough—they would not be allowed to sell in the City of Auckland. That is our interpretation ; and that would not be right. And, another thing: It would seem hard for a butcher who has his private slaughterhouse, and is carrying on a business in the city, that he should not be allowed to sell his corned beef there. There are butchers in Parnell and other districts who have private slaughterhouses. These provisions prevent them sending corned beef away, because it is slaughtered in a private slaughterhouse. If that has inspection surely it is in the same position as a public abattoir. It is the same with Messrs. Hellaby Bros, and their tinned meat, because they have a private slaughterhouse. I can understand the reason that this clause—section 15, subsection (1) —is being inserted, because it is apparent to those who have a personal knowledge of this Bill that the largest abattoir in any district, if there are more than one, will be the favoured private slaughterhouse to be converted into the abattoir. On behalf of the smaller butchers, who have not reached a position in their experience when they are able to launch out into bone-mills and blood-manure plant, at which we are all aiming—and none of these firms are enabled to get to the position they are in to-day if they are not to have private slaughterhouses, which this Act seems to be trying to do away with. But I would endeavour at this time now to lay before the Committee argument in favour of the private slaughterhouses, if lam in order. It has been admitted by all the Inspectors and delegates that cattle require rest, and feed, and water previous to being slaughtered, and our contention is that the animals will receive better and more considerate treatment in the owner's own hands, and under his own personal supervision, than they will at any Government abattoir. We are applying now to our own province. I wish my remarks to be construed as only meaning our own province—the province we have a personal interest in.