Killings put calves out of misery

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 1

Killings put calves out of misery

PA Auckland Mercy killings had disposed of most of the worstaffected bobby calves at the Southdown freezing works by yesterday morning. The calves were left starving when freezing workers walked off the job. Inspectors of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who visited Southdown found that mercy killings had already disposed of the worstaffected calves. The president of the S.P.C.A. federation (Mr N. E. Wells) said that a ;ertain percentage of bobby calves always died from exposure and the rigours of transport to freezing works.

“We don't like it. but it is a fact that has to be accepted,” he said. “Transport and handling are not the best — it is a constant concern."

The industrial relations manager for the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Cooperative, Ltd, (Mr L. W. Lane) said that the company was reviewing all aspects of the strike. In the meantime, he said, workers were losing more than $74,000 in wages. It appeared that the action of the management in separating thb weakest calves , and sending them to neighbouring freezing works had kept deaths to a minimum. Because only stronger calves were left overnight in pens at Southdown,

deaths were kept to less than 10 per cent. About 50 had died. Mr Wells said the S.P.C.A. was investigating the possibility’ of taking legal action against the Southdown freezing workers. However, a prosecution under the Animals Protection Act was unlikely. The S.P.C.A. would have to prove either that the action was taken with intent to cause suffering, or that the persons in charge of the animals had failed to provide adequate food, water, or shelter. Neither was appropriate. The president of the Auckland Freezing Workers’ Union (Mr F. E. Barnard) who condemned the Southdown workers’ action in leaving the bobby calves unbilled, said yesterday that he supported the issue behind the strike.

The company, he said, was morally obliged to pay the expenses of the worker who was found not guilty in the Supreme Court last week of stealing meat. “We had one boy accused by the company of industrial sabotage a few months ago,” said Mr Barnard. "His case went before the court and he was found not guilty. The company paid all his costs and wages, thereby setting a precedent. “The man accused of stealing meat is 34, with a young family. He spent one night in the cooler at Otahuhu, one night in Mount Eden, am' it cost him $2OOO to be found not guilty’. "We feel that the company is morally obliged to meet his costs on the basis that it did it for the other chap.”