SUNDAY KILLING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1148, 8 June 1911, Page 6

SUNDAY KILLING.

REPORT BY'ABATTOIR MANAGER,

The following report upon the subject of Sunday slaughtering has been forwarded to the Town Clerk (Mr. .T. K. Palmer) by the manager of the municipal abattoir (Mr. J. C. Macklev):"1 beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Jline 2,.with a cutting from The Dominion - attached, in which you instruct me to make a full report (upon the subject of Sunday slaughtering). The City Council agreed that the abattoir should be open for tho slaughtering of slock oil Sundays' from November 1 to .March 111, which has been duly adhered to. On March 31, Mr. 'fait (assistant town clerk) advised' me, through tho telephone, that a deputation from the Ma>ter Butchers' Association hair waited upon Mr. Shirtelilt'e, chairman of the Abattoirs Committee, and asked him to extend slaughtering for another Sunday. The reply had been made that it rested entirely with myself'(Mr. Mackley). After considering the matter 1 consulted Mr. Liddle (one of the contractors), and asked him if he would be agreeable to work another Sunday. This he agreed to do. During the following week the secretary of the Master Butchers' Association asked that killing on still another Sunday should be allowed, in view of the warm weather. I referred the matter again to Mr. Liddle, when he informed me that the men refused to work a second Sunday, unless they were paid double time, which was not forthcoming. The slaughtering, therefore, was done 011 Saturday, only one Sunday having been worked over the time agreed upon by the City Council. I had 110 intention of extending tho Sunday killing after March 31, but on receipt of the information mentioned from Mr. Tait, gave it my favourable consideration, and asked Mr. Liddle to approach his men. with the result that they agreed to work for that Sunday only." "A question arose last week over slaughtering on the holiday, which fell 011 Saturday, June 3. The secretary of tho Master Butchers' Association was approached with reference to this, and he informed me that, if tho meat was slaughtered on Friday, it would not keep, having to hang for three days. I pointed out that meat slaughtered by the ■Jewish Rabbi had kept for' the same ueriod, during the last two. months at least. I therefore refused to open the abattoir for slaughtering 011 Sunday. Tho butchers refused to work either 011 Saturday or Sunday, unless they were paid doublo time in terms of the union award. The slaughtering was therefore done on Friday. The meat kept perfectly sweet. "As far as the abattoir is concerned there has been 110 need for the City Council to shelter itself behind the city butchers, as everything in connection with the matter has been done openly."