"PRIME WETHER"

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 58, 6 September 1934, Page 12

"PRIME WETHER"

KILLING OF OLD RAMS

MR. SEMPLE'S CHARGES

Further allegations that old rams were being killed at the Mastcrton abattoirs and that the meat was being sent into Wellington and sold to the public were made in the Houso of Representatives last night by Mr. E. Semple (Labour, Wellington - East), when speaking in the Budget debate.

• Mr. Semplo said1 tliat since 'he first made the charges he had instituted further inquiries, and had secured much, additional information. One of his informants was the Government inspector who was in charge of the abattoirs, and another was the foreman of the abattoirs. The latter had been accused of giving away information, and although he had been foreman for five years, and had had thirty years' experience as a professional butcher, he was "sacked" instantly. The reason given for his dismissal was that ho was incompetent, but apparently it had taken the authorities five years to find that out. .

A member: Who sacked him? Mr. Semple: The Masterton Borough Council. ~ Mr. Semple added that the old rams were bought1 up by a man named Bett for from 5s to Bs, and the mutton1 was sold in the shops in Wellington for from Gd to 8d per pound as prime wether.

The Minister of Finance (the Et. Hon. J. G. Coates): How many teeth! Mr. Semple: No teeth, at all. They are what the Minister would call "gummies." The man who has been killing these beasts told me that some of them are so old that they have to be carried into thcabattoirs on a lorry; they are so "wanky" on their legs that they can hardly walk. Mr. Semplo said that the whole thing was a public scandal, and was reminiscent of Upton Sinclair's "Jungle." He also alleged that the law relating to the sale of "bobby" calves was being flagrantly broken. Calves not 48 hours old' were being killed, and were being gold to the public as veal at 6d per pound.