THE CITY ABATTOIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 241, 12 October 1888, Page 3

THE CITY ABATTOIRS.

The question of closing the City Abattoirs came «p for consideration- at the meeting of the City Council last evening. The report of the Special Committee appointed to conrider the matter was read, as already published. The Chairman moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded oy Cr. Lennox. Cr. Evans thought that when the matter was referred to the Committee it was with a view to closing the abattoirs. He did not think that the recommendations of the Committee would meet with tho approval j of the ratepayers of the Ponsonby Ward. Cr. Trenwith.thought thafc the report was quite in accordance with the resolution referring the matter to them. Cr. Holland suggested that the cart should be covered up when it contained the offal. Cr. Farrell was disappointed with the report, as he thought it would have dealt with the closing ot the abattoirs. He could not see that there was any gain to the Council in keeping open the abattoirs. It was not the duty of the Council to keep a nuisance in existence.. As the abattoirs were not paying, they should be done away with. He held that the Council had no right fco enter into business competition with private citizens. He hoped that the Council would consider whether the abattoirs could not be done away with. The Chairman said that the Committee had no power to deal with the closing of the abattoirs. Cr. Cooper said fchafc al though a member of fche Committee, he was dissatisfied with the report. He would be prepared to move that the report be referred to the Finance Committee with a view to_ going into the question from a financial point of view. Cr. Smith said that when on the Committee he had refused to support the report, for he believed that it was not what was ■wished by the ratepayers. He felt sure thafc the abattoirs were a nuisance, as well as giving an excuse for the existence oi other similar nuisances. He hoped that an amendment would be. moved to the report. Cr. Goldie did nofc think that all the people in Ponsonby wanted the abattoir.-, j closed, otherwise they'would not have] taken the petition to a public school I ■to gst it signed by the children. It should also be~remembered that besides ! the return from the abattoirs there was a return received for depasturing cattle in the adjacent paddocks, He contended that if properly managed the abattoirs should not create a nuisance. The fact was that they simply wanted to close the City Abattoirs in order to get at other nuisances. As £5,000 had been expended in erecting the premises, ifc required careful consideration before the place was closed. The interest on the money had still to be paid. He was in favour of giving the new system a trial for three or six months. ' Cr. Hewson thought that they should give the suggestions of the Committee a tair trial. He had himself visited the abattoirs, and came away disappointed because he could find no " stink." Cr. Swales regretted that Cr. Hewson •was so disappointed, for when he visited the place he had enough smell to fully satisfy him. What the Ponsonby people complained of was the stench, wherever it ■came from. Cr. Atkin expressed sympathy with the Ponsonbv residents, as they had suffered severely." But when they wished the abattoirs closed they should show how the buildings could be otherwise utilised. There was another matter. The soil of Ponsonby was bleak and cold, and he feared that it was not quite as healthy .as Cr. Swales contended it was. The lact was thafc Ponsonby people were blaming the abattoirs when many of 4hem knew that they were not a nuisance. The principal trouble arose from defective drainage in Ponsonby. Many of the drains were not carried to a proper terminus. At the same time he should like to see the abattoirs closed, but before they did iSO they should find some other method of utilising the building,- and fche land. Cr. Paterson said that the question had been sufficiently ventilated. He thought ifc would be advisable fco give the recommenda tions of the Committee a trial. Perhaps the Ponsonby people were not aware that an amount "of the smell came from other institutions nearer Ponsonby than the abat-

toirs. Cr. Evans proposed, as an amendment, *' That the report be referred back to the Committee to confer with the Newton Council with a view to taking steps to abate all offensive smells in the borough." Cr. Evans replied to some of the statements made with regard to the abattoirs. What was the use of taking steps to get, pure water if they were to be poisoned off by bad smells ? Cr. Dignan suggested thab the amendment should simply be that the report should be referred back for re-consideratoin. Cr. Smith seconded the amendment. Cr. Cooper said that their abattoirs had been a nuisance in the past, and that fact ■would be urged against them by the Newton borough. He would admit that the City Abattoirs were not now a nuisance, but their continuance was an excuse for the existence of other nuisances, and should therefore be removed. Cr. Holland thought that it would be better to send back the report, for sooner or later the abattoirs would have to go. The awitation would compel them to go in the end, and the first loss would be the t>esb- , _• The Chairman then put the question to the Council, when the amendment was lost. Crs. Layer, Evans, Swales, Smith, Holland, and Farrell supported the amendment, and Crs. Paterson, Davies, Warren, Trenwith, Goldie, Atkin, Dignan, Cooper and Hewson, the motion. The report was thus adopted. It was then referred to the Legal Committee to draw up regulations as to the duties of the Inspector.