NEW CATTLE YARDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3863, 12 June 1873, Page 2

NEW CATTLE YARDS.

A meeting of the committee appointed at the recent public meeting to consider and report upon a site for new cattle yards, was held at Tattersall’s yesterday evening for the purpose of bearing the opinion of the city butchers —who tad been invited to attend—upon the subject. The members of the committee present/ were Messrs H. F. Gray (chairman) J. T. Ford, W. Henderson, A. P. O'Callaghan, and C. C. Aikman, the butchers in attendance being Messrs Clarkson,. Rowe, W. Rossiter, Fi Lane, J. Judge, H. B. Lane, and W. Marcroft. Messrs Torrens and M‘Malloy, cattle dealers, were also present. Mr Ford explained that the committee had enquired fully Into the matter, but were not quite agreed |ts to the best site, and the butchers of Christchurch bad been asked to attend that evening in order that they might express their views. He then explained there were four sites in the vicinity of the Addington station, reading along the west belt towards Diliowayn’, one |at the back of Wood’s mill, one at thd Fendaltown crossing of the Northern Railway, one at the junction of the Ham and Fendaltown roads, and one near the Carlton bridge./ Questions were then put by the Chairman as to how near! the Barnyards should be to Christchurch irtorder to suit the general convenience; whetuer a site immediately adjacent to a railway station possessed advantages over one, say, half a mile away; and where should a site b) selected so as to best suit the convenience of [both the northern and southern portions of the province. Several other questions of minor Importance were also put. Mr Clarksonithought the site should not be further away tban Addington. If they went further than just outside the town, he did not think the matter would meet with the approval of the oonmunity, and then the project could not possibly be a success. But, whereever the site) was selected, it must, in hit opinion, be contiguous to the railway. The site should,'ju fact, be so located that stock

could be untruoked into the races and taken direct into the yards, thus saving a great deal of labour and Annoyance to the public. This could not be done to soit'both the Northern and Southern lines ■ except at or near the Addington junction, which was, in his opinion, the best place for the yards. Certainly, this would be taking the yards a little away from the Northern roads, but then it must bo remembered that the people would be handy to the railway station, which fully counterbalanced it. Anywhere within 40 chains of Dilloway’s would, in his opinion, suit both north and south, especially if in the direction of the Addington station. He thought Mr Ticknor’s section the best.

Mr Rowe would like the yards to be near Christchurch if there was no fear of being disturbed. He did not think, however, that half a mile from a railway station would be muoh of a consideration either to buyers or sellers, but the nearer a good site could be got the better. To suit both north and south, the site should be as near Dilloway’s as possible. Addington was too far away, and he questioned if Hall’s section was large enough. [Mr Ford: It is not, and the pnce is too nigh.] Half-chain road approaches would be an objection to the Fendaltown sites, otherwise the section at the junction of the Dam and Fendaltown roads would be the best. Mr Marcroft said there could be no doubt that the Carlton yards were unequal to the accommodation required for stock sales, and he thought, with a view to permanence, no site should be selected less than two miles from town; indeed, if all the conveniences were good, a little further than this would be no objection, fleconsidered, therefore, that the section at the comer of the Ham and Fendaltown roads was a very eligible one, more particularly if a slaughter-house should ever be established in conjunction with the yards. He might say that he had heard some persons interested state very emphatically that if the yards were established at Addington, opposition yards would be established at Papanui next year. Looking forward for ten years, he did not think that any of the sites—except that on the Ham and Fendaltown roads—offered sufficient accommodation for the yards, and he was sure it was the most likely to suit north and south.

Mr Ford said it must be remembered that the Bicoarton and Carlton Yards were originally established for the convenience of Christchurch, but the time had arrived when they must consider the interests of people outside Christchurch. Store stock considerably exceeded fat stock in number, and the country interests must therefore be carefully regarded. In this case, direct communication by railway became an important consideration, and it was a question, if they went far away from it, whether they would be supported. Mr Rossiter did not think the matter of distance from town was of much consequence, if the locality selected was not too much inhabited, possessed good roads, and water, and was near a railway station. He considered it would be perfectly absurd to have to drive up such narrow roads as there were in the Fendaltown locality. He did not think it would be any use putting yards where such roads existed. If the yards were between Dilloway’s and the Carlton, the northern people would drive round by the Carlton and on the belt. Addington would be too far from the North road, and he thought a suitable site could be found nearer Dilloway’s. Mr Judge said the Carlton yards were much too close to town, and in time the Government would step in and put a stop to them. A mile from town would be quite near enough, and he would not object to three miles if the situation were suitable and good traffic facilities were afforded. The narrow roads were a great objection to the site at the comer of the liam and Fendaltown roads, otherwise it would, in his opinion be the best. He thought that anywhere on the Riccarton road between Dilloway’s and the Riccarton church would be the best locality for the yards. (Mr Gray : “There would be no railway accommodation.”) He did not think the railway mattered much. He believed there would be quite as much objection to yards at Addington in a few years as there is now to the Carlton yards. (Mr Gray : “ I quite agree to that.”) Mr Ford said no matter whether a site was selected five or ten miles from Christchurch, it was absolutely necessary that it should be adjoining to a railway station. (Hear, hear.) They must look to the future, and, when it was considered that the large quantity of land how being purchased was for fanning, there could be no doubt but the increase of stock would be rapid, therefore easy and quick transit would be, of the greatest importance, more especially to fat stock. He had as much interest in the North as the South, and he considered the drive round by the Carlton to Addington would be nothing to the former. Besides, it must be remembered that although the north had hitherto supplied the greater portion of the stock for the yards, the south, in a few years, would supply five or six times more than the north will be able to do. The section at the junction of the Ram and Fendaltown roads was in itself a very good one, but the roads leading to iU were altogether too narrow, and there was no direct rail dr other communication to it. Certainly the paddock, which contained 29 acres, was large enough to permit of a portion being taken off the road frontage to widen the road at this particular point, but the roads elsewhere could not be widened; He might state that he had seen the Superintendent, who appeared yery much interested in the subject of the battle yards, and seemed to think that the Hon John Hall’s section at Addington was the best site for them. His Honor pointed out that if it was not large enough for the purpose there was a reserve adjoining the Addington station which could be used with it. His Honor said the promoters of the yards should give this site very serious consideration before coming to a decision, and added that the Government would be prepared to make a siding at the station for stock, while if the yards were erected elsewhere he could not say that this would be done, for it was an object to have as few stopping places on the line as possible. Mr Clarkson said it was quite clear they could not go up the Riccarton road as suggested by Mr Judge, unless a divided market was intended. It certainly would not suit the northern people. Mr Judge pointed out that the northern people could make a short cut across from Norman’s, on the Fapanui road. It was also pointed out that in making for the site at the corner of the Dam and Fendaltown roads, the northern people could cross from the North road by the Harewood road, and those from the south, by the Ham road. Mr Gray said in reference to a siding, it would be impossible for the Government to ignore the requirements for the cattle yards, whenever a siding was desired. Mr Ford, in reply to Mr Judge’s statement, that there would be quite as much objection to yards at Addington in a few years, as at the Carlton now, pointed out that.with the sections on the west belt there could be nothing of the kind, for in front there would be the park, which could not be built upon, and in rear the railway line, which also could not be built upon. These sites wore approached by wide roads, and had the railway very convenient, and he had no hesitation whatever in saying that he was in favour of one of them being selected. He considered if this was done and yards erected, there would be yery few additional houses in the locality in ten or twelve years to come, therefore the same objection os at the Carlton would not arise.

Mr Grey thought that in time the west belt would oecome a sort of Rotten Row, and that yards there would be very objectionable. He thought driving on the roads in the Fendaltown locality would not be so bad as made out.

Messrs Fred. Lane and H. B. Lane, who both came in late, expressed themselves strongly in favour of the selection of one of the sites on the west belt.

Mr Torrens said half-chain roads, such as in the Fendaltown locality, were not fit to drive upon. Some conversation ensued upon the subject of a public slaughter-house, which the butchers were generally of opinion should not be considered in connection with the new cattle yards, and the meeting then terminated. The adjourned public meeting at which the committee have to report will bo held next week.