HUTT VALLEY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 115, 8 February 1935, Page 6

HUTT VALLEY NEWS

SLAUGHTER AT • PETONE Men Who Get Meat Ready For the Table Words such as “interesting,” “amazing,” “educative,”: “marvellous,” and the like occur hundreds of times in the visitors’ book at a slaughter works in Petone, ’said to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. And it can be taken for granted that the "words, which express the sentiment of those who' have seen round the premises, were written in all sincerity, for hours can be spent and' enjoyed in these buildings, which take up 30 acres of Petone land. Even the book is intriguing, for it contains the names of the King and Queen, the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, and several members of Parliament. A reporter who called at the works yesterday was struck with its magnitude; it is like a self-contained world, independent almost: of everything outside. It has its own artesian water supplies its own Diesel engines for generating electricity;, and its own steam plant. Within its walls the bullock, sheep,, or pig goes through all the many processes before being ready for the table; even the making of the tins (a tin of tongue please!) is done here. And hardly any part of the animal is wasted. What, is not eaten is turned to some other useful account. For instance,, the bullock’s tail is used for upholstery, the blood that runs away in channels for fertiliser, the skins of sheep for leather coats or doeskin gloves. ,

People who enjoy their meal of meat would do well to inspect these works, lest they become blase and forget the honour that is due to the men who reduce a live 8001 b. bullock to a dead three-pound roast of beef for their benefit. The reporter was privileged to see exactly how it is done. He saw the huge beast .walk, with the assistance of an electric prod, through a narrow race and look up curiously at the man perched above. But the man did not appear interested; he brought a seven-pound hammer down .on the bullock’s head, and the beast fell stunned to the ground. The rest of the process might be unsavoury in words, but the killing is humane. Three men got 50 of those bullocks ready for the butcher’s shop yesterday. The sheep. do not take nearly as long. From-six to eight thousand are killed daily. A total of 10,570 is the record. And 'ft is one of their own brethren that assists in the untimely end. This sheep, known as the traitor, dodges in and out of the yard and coaxes his fellows in to the slaughter. Some 400 men were working at high pressure yesterday, for this is the busy season. Few.of them were engaged on the same job, as the work done here ,is of a varied and complex nature. One of the most fascinating parts of the whole outfit is the . huge cooler. The temperature was 87 degrees in the engine room; a few strides further on it was only seven degrees above zero, and one would have welcomed an overcoat. It is so cold in .there that an ox tail was kept for 12 years, and the person who ate it said .if was wonderful. Although an.inspection of these premises and. watching the animals being killed calls , for a'Strong stomach, it is interesting.to know that many of the visitors are women, who as the courteous guide said, never 'turn a hair. INTER-CLUB TENNIS Positions of Teams in Hutt Valley Competition

The positions of the teams competing in the Hutt Valley Lawn Tennis Sub-Assocla-tion inter-club matches are as follow:—

The following are the elttb championship points : l J etone Central .30, Waiwetu 28. Gower Hutt 20, Wilford 20, Pononga 18, Eastern 14, Muritai 14, Petone 12. St. Peters and Pauls 10, Hutt Bowling 10, Methodist 10, Upper Hutt 8, Talta 8. ’ Treutham 6, St, James 4. St. Stephens 4, Western 4 Itandwick 4, St. Augustine 4, Knox 2, Walnui 2, Koro Koro 0, Fairfield 0. WATER SUPPLY Eastbourne’s Wisdom "Eastbourne would hare been in a parlous state for water a month ago, had It not linked up with the artesian supply from the Hutt Valley,” said a

resident of the trans-harbour suburb yesterday. He stated that in ordinary summers the tanks supplies had in past years given out on several occasions, and the present lengthy spell of hot dry weather would have left the borough starving for water long ago; but with the present unfailing supply everybody was well satisfied,.and. there was a feeling of relief that the step had been taken.

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Petone Sports MeetingResults of the meeting conducted by the Petone Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club on Wednesday evening are as follow: — 75yds. women’s race: T. Greenfield, 1; A. George, 2; B. Smith, 3. Time, 9 2-5. 100yds. women: A. George, 1; T. Greenfield, 2; B. Smith, 3. Time, 13 1-5. 100yds. handicap: Fitzsimmons, 1; Thompson, 2; Warburton," 3. Time, 10 2-5. 220yds. handicap: Thompson, 1; Orme, 2; Fitzsimmons, 3. Time, 23 1-5. 100yds. junior: Battersby, 1; Chambers, 2; Jackson, 3. Time, 12 1-5. 100yds. boys: Bob McGurk, 1; Jack Crook, 2; Max. Pettett, 3. Time, 15. ,Half-mile handicap: E. C. Brown. 1; Turner, 2. Time, 2.18. One lap 440yds. relay (Combined Team v. Eastbourne Football Club) : Combined Team, 1; Eastbourne Football Club, 2. Time, 46. Half-mile cycle: Cook, 1; Orr, 2: McKelvie, 3. Time, 57 3-5. One mile cycle: Cook, 1; T. Roe, 2: Sutherland, 3. Time, 2.10 2-5. Three-mile cycle: Roe, 1; Ulmer, 2; Roe, 3 Time, 7.10 4-5. One mile junior cycle: McKelvie, 1: Cook, 2; Keighley, 3. Time, 2.23 2-5.

Senior Gradel Ch. Flayed Won Pts. Petone 4 3 1 6 Muri tai 4 3 1 6 Lower Hiutt A ... 4 3 1 6 Dower Hutt B ... 4 15 4 Upper Hutt .... 4 1 3 St. Augustine .... 4 ' 0 4 0 Junior Grade—North Section. Hutt Bowling ... 4 4 0 8 Walwetu 4 ' 3 1 6 Eastern 4 3 1 . 6 Trenthain ...... 4 1. 2 Lower Hutt 4 1 3 o St. Stephens 4 . 0 4 0 South Section. Central 4 ■ 4 0 8 Muritai 4 4 0 8 Petone 4 9> 4 Western 4 ’ 1 Q 2 St. Augustine , 41 ■ • 1 3 Koro Koro .....* 4 0 4 0 Third Grade—North Section. Taita i.4 4 0 8 • Central 4 ' " 3 1 Upper Hutt .... 4 3 1 , Eastern 4 4 Lower Hutt 4 o 4 Hutt Bowling .... 4 i 3 St. Peters and Pauls 4 i A 2 Knox 4 0 4 0 South Section. Central 4' 4 0 8 Walwetu ........ 4 4 0 8 Wilford ........ 4 3 1 6 Pononga ....... 4 3 1 6 Petone 4 1 3 St. James 4 1 3 Western • 4 o 4 0 St. Augustine 4 0 4 0 Fourth Grade—North Section Methodist 3 . 3 0 6 Lower Hutt .... 3 1 4 Trenthain 3 • 2 1 4 St. Stephens .... 4 4 Eastern * 4 4 Knox 3 . 1 9 Fairfield 4 0 4 0 South Section. Walwetu 3 0 6 Wilford 3 3 0 G Central 3 1 . 4 Pononga 4 2 4 Randwick 4 9 4 Koro Koro 3 0 .4 0 Western 4 0 4 0 Fifth Grade—North St. Peter's and Paul’s 4 4 0 8 Walwetu 4 . 4 0 8 Methodist. 4 z 4 St. James 4 ’ 1 2 Western 4 1 3 Wilford ... 4 0 4 0 South Section. Pononga 4 4 0 8 Wiliford 4 4 0 8 Central 4 z 4 St. Augustine 4 1 3 Wainul 4 ' 1 . > Rand wick 4 0 4 0