UPSHOT OF BANKS CO. MATTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 948, 15 October 1910, Page 6

UPSHOT OF BANKS CO. MATTER.

SLAUGHTERING MUST CEASE,

: .The issue of a slaughtering.' license to the Banks Meat. Company by', the Makara County Council was, discussed by that body at its? meeting yesterday. ' The. subject was introduced by a let-. tei\ from the Minister for Agriculture, intimating that the council was not in a position to issue the'license.: In view of the fact that'the company's principal business was : not the export of meat, the question 'had been referred to the Solicitor-General, and ..bis ruling that, under the circumstances, tho council could not . grant the license and that the-'Minister would, not be justified 1 in approving it. In. view of this opinion and of, the fact that the 'Wellington City Council had established 1 a public abattoir since the last renewal of y the company's license the Minister regretted that be was''unable to approve the' present renewal since; he was riot' satisfied that the principal business; of ..the company was, or would be during. the currency of the license, the slaughtering of meat for export. '; ;.. Mr;. Moore (chairman) said ■ that he had received a demand to convene a special meeting of the council in order that tie-license which it had granted should be cancelled! He had not thought it necessary to comply, since the council was, in any case, to meet in ten days. He had, however, notified the council that it should be prepared to cease killing.as from October 15. Mr. Nicholson, manager of the company, was prepared to cease killing for its clients on the date mentioned,- but desired an extension of time until the end of the month in respect of contraot work... Arrangements could not well lie made at such short notice to . have the work done elsewhere. The chief Government veterinarian, Mr. Moore understood, had no objection to this course, but the associated butchers of Wellington desirecl that the works should be in-. . stantly closed. • Mr. Nicholsou, manager of the Banks Meat Company, said he was porfectly suro that the chairman had no authority for the latter statement. The associated butchers had passed a resolution condemning the action of one or two of their members who had gone to. the Minister for. Agriculture ana made representations, on behalf of the associated butchers, without authority. . This, Mr. Moore declared, was news to him. Knowing that the gentlemen concerned held official positions, he had taken it for granted that they were speaking for their association. The council, he concluded, could not .take away any stand to maintain a position'which had been declared illegal.Mr. Nicholson explained that ■ the company desired an extension of time in order tto fulfill contracts for the supply of "kosher," meat. The council decided to notify the company that it must cease public slaughtering at the end of the present month.