THE ABATTOIRS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 13000, 16 December 1902, Page 6

THE ABATTOIRS.

• THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE . BUTCHERS. ■ : 1 • DISAGREEMENT REGARDING SLAUGHTERING. A deputation of butchers waited on the City Council tat evening in regard to the. arrangements for working the abattoirs. Steel said that the Butchers' Association wanted to know if the Council was going to erect ai chilling-room at the abattoirs, and would allow butchers to do their | .own slaughtering. Mr Forrester,, said there had been a rumour that the" City Council intended to .do the slaughtering. The Association had decided that if that were so, the butchers .would have- their, slaughtering done else- ' .where. It was a serious question to the butchers. He and others contended that the Council could not undertake to- do the ■Work, and he hail been authorised by the ■.Association to say that if the Council kept the matter in its own hands the butchers would at once make other arrangements. \ The Mayor .said) that the Council could ; not enter "into a discussion just then, .but 'would bear the representations of the de{putation in mind when the matter came under notice for decision.. ") Later on, after the deputation had with--I.drawn, Councillor R. M. Macdonald stated « that at first it was thought advisable that \the Council should do the killing, and the " .plans were made out for that purpose. Mr *■ Gilruth was strongly in favour of the work ''being done by the Council. '; Councillor J. M.- Taylor said Mr Gilruth - * Iliad decidedly stated that the Council must • rdo its own killing, as the abattoirs were with that idea in view. It was not the Works Committee which was deciding .'•the matter. Mr Crabb had also said that ' 'the killing should he done by the Council. Councillor C. ,M. Gray said he did not, believe the abattoir building had been designed with any special object in view in that direction. He would not like to sec the butchers go to some other place for ' (their slaughtering. Though he thought that something should be done, he had not sufficient knowledge of the subject to take "any steps. '• Councillor C. D. Morris said there was 'undeniable proof that it would not do to Jet the butchers slaughter on their own account. That was the opinion of .all the experts, by which the Council should be guided. Councillor J. Clarke said that the abattoirs were built for the use of the general public, not for the butchers alone. Councillor H. B. Soren-sen said that thcbutchers should 'have been taken into the confidence of the. Works Committee. Councillor G. Simpson said that the • Council must be guided by expert opinion. Councillor W. ' K. Samuels 'and other ' members of the Council expressed the ■ ' same opinion, and spoke highly of Mr Wootton, who has been appointed head ■ jdaujjliierman.