Council Refuses Butchers' Request

Northern Advocate, 4 June 1947, Page 4

Council Refuses Butchers' Request

The Whangarei Borough Council is adamant on adhering to its by-law prohibiting slaughtering of cattle on Saturdays. Writing to the council, the New Zealand Master Butchers’ Federation stated that its attention had been drawn to the by-law, opposed by master butchers of Whangarei, that no cattle should > be slaughtered at the abattoir on any Saturday, except those which required immediate killing because of suffering from disease. The federation noted that the by-law referred only to cattle, and it had been informed that slaughtering on Saturdays was not practised except where public holidays made it necessary. Therefore it supported the request and appeal of Whangarei butchers, and asked the council to rescind or hold in abeyance the by-law until such time as chiller facilities were made available to butchers slaughtering the stock at the abattoirs. ADHERING TO BY-LAW» The council adopted a recommendation by the works committee that the federation should be advised that the council proposed to adhere to the bylaw which was now in force. The firm of Messrs T. J. McFarlane and Co. applied for permission to slaughter cattle at the abattoir on Saturdays, as it was impossible to make arrangements with any of the staff to remove hides and skins on Sundays. _ • * In support, 'it was claimed that the Mayor (Mr W. Jones) had told a deputation which had waited on the council about the no Saturday killing by-law, that the council would help out any of the butchers who were in need of Saturday killing. The Mayor said he stood by his statement ’that the council would assist when special killing on a Saturday was necessary. Apparently the writer had taken it that he had meant any Saturday. The request was declined.