DRIVING OF STOCK

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21384, 29 January 1935, Page 12

DRIVING OF STOCK

IIiCCARTON BOROUGH BYLAWS DISCUSSED DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL The Riccarton Borough Council's bylaw governing the removal of sheep and lambs from the Addington saleyards on Wednesdays, which was discussed at the last meeting of the council, was reconsidered last evening when a deputation, described as probably the largest to wait on the council, made a plea for the stringent enforcement of the by-law, and protested that the yards should not be allowed so close to a residential area like Riccarton. When the deputation had retired, Cr. O. D. Eraser moved that a letter about the yards from the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. C. E. Macmillan), which was also discussed at vhe last meeting, should be reconsidered, and his request that the bylaws should be modified to allow sheep and lambs to be driven from the yards at H p.m. instead of 4 p.m. should be acceded to. On the suggestion of Cr. F. S. Wilding, Cr. Fraser deleted the words "should be acceded to," but the motion was lost. The Minister's letter stated that a deputation ot' butchers had emphasised the loss of slock caused through the time of day at which it had to be driven from the saleyards. It was felt, after enquiries, that a modification of the time from 4 p.m. to 3 p.m. would avoid losses. It was considered also that unnecessary suffering was caused under the present arrangement.

The speakers in the deputation, which numbered mnro than 40, were Messrs J. McCullough, P. G. Stringer, and A. !>. Ford. "A Menace and Indignity" Tvlr McCuliough contended that the saleyards should not be tolerated in a closely-settled district, that they were a menace and indignity, and had retarded Eicearton as a residential area. "Instead of the by-laws being relaxed, they should be tightened up, with a view to having the yards removed," he said. The request for alteration came from a few butchers who were not representative of the trade, and lie did not think that any were innocent enough to believe that the saleyards company was not behind it. He submitted that a tightening of the regulations and the curtailment of many of the privileges enjoyed by the company and its customers would be an intimation that it was in the district; on sufTorance and unflcr the control of the borough council, and that most of (he residents resented its continuance. I\l r Stringer said that, as chairman of flic school committee, he was asking Hie council lo protect the children as well as respect, the wishes of the narciils. The children represented .'iOfl home:;, and surely these outweighed the lo or "0 names which, he understood. were attached to Ihe petition previously presented to the council.

Previous Petition Mr Fold said he was sure Ihe Mbusier for Agriculture did not know all the facts. The petition previously presented was signed by people connected with the saleyards company or living in houses belonging to the company. The people were agreed that the saleyards were a nuisance and a noxious trade. He suggested that the master butchers might use their influence to gel (lie saleyards established beside the ab"t toi rs.

When the deputation retired Cr. Fraser moved his motion. In support of it he said that, what the Mayor called eyewash about the losses between the saleyards and the abattoirs amounted to l'.Ki head between January and September, 1931. That was because of. the late hour of driving slock away. In months '.!81 head of slock had been found dead on Thursday mornings, and there had been a 1 oss at Ihe abattoirs Ihrough overdriving from the yards, of 54 head in three months. The yards were there, and would stay there: they were there before the houses were built, and it was no use protesting. The greatest menace to the district was the Addington railway workshops. The shops were far worse- for the health than the yards. "Sheep Dyinsj Like Flies" lie contended that the sooner the slock was out of the yards the better. ll.' spoke of sheep which had been brought from the Chatham Islands and which "died like Hies" because tiiey could not be released from Ihe yards. They were taken I rem the yards to the boat for sorting,

and if iliey were not out of the yards !)•.>!ore ii a.m. they had to stay there nmil 4 p.m. On one clay 53 sheep had died between !) a.m. and 4 p.m. He supporfed the request of the master butchers. Cr. Wild in;- seconded the motion in its amended form. "It this council refuses to consider i\v-!:nvs. il is taking a very shortsighted and silly view, and is not acling lor the ratepayers," he said. "Jf we come here and say that we made by-laws -0 years ago, and if they were good enough then they are good enough to-day, we are going to Ivr've tiieni held to be unreasonable. The council has to consider these by-laws. By-laws relating to any restriction should be considered every few years. The Mayer (Mr 11. S. S. Kyle): They have been considered. Cr. Vilding: Pardon me. sir. no. They should be referred to a subcommittee. t submit that it .is very necessarv that they should be reconsidered. I think they need to be more stringent in certain ways. An Annual Question Cr. R. G. Malcolmson said the question was a hardy annual. It had always been with the council and always would be, and to set up a committee to give it more consideration would be riding it to death. He contended that all the arguments used by Cr. Fraser should have been addressed to the saleyards company as a plea for their removal. Cr. Wilding: I think we are wasting our time. 1 don't want to say 'I told you so,' but I do feel it is not going :o. cost much to go into it. "If these by-laws are to be reconsidered, they should be reconsidered by the new council,'' contended Cr. H. Odelt. Cr. C. U. McKellar said he thought the council was doing a very wrong thing in not reconsidering the o.ylaws! It misht be called on to give evidence in court that the by-laws had been considered, and might even have to prove them to be reasonable. The Mayor: They have been reconsidered nearly every year by the council. We have had deputations from the saleyaids. from the drovers, from the butchers, and i'rom the citizens, and are thoroughly conversant with all the arguments put forward. Mr Malcolmson. argued that there had been losses before the Riccarton Borough Council ever existed. There had always been losses and there always would be while the saleyards were three miles from the abattoir. He mentioned that mortality among sheep in the Dominion was 10 per cent, of the total number Sheep from Chatham Islands "When a farmer goes out to his farm in the morning and finds so many dead sheep, he might blame the Riccarton Borough Council by-laws wiih as much justification ns Cr. Eraser does." Mr Kyle said. Me con.tended that 90 per cent, of the snoop which came from the Chatham Islands were turned into an accommodation paddock or into Hagley Park l'or a refresher course before they went to

the saleyards. He believed that if the by-laws were relaxed to-morrow, no benefit would accrue to the saleyards or butchers. If these people felt justified in attacking the by-laws cf the borough, then they had the courts before them. The motion was lost, those voting for it being Crs. Fraser, McKellar, and Wilding. Cr. Fraser then mentioned trust some cattle had been released recently at 11.15. He wanted to knew who gave authority for this, ai.ci he if the person was to be prosecuted. The Mayor replied that investigations would be made :f Cr. fraser left the name of the person who gave authority with the town clerk.