THE CITY ABATTOIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12194, 13 February 1903, Page 3

THE CITY ABATTOIRS.

A VEXED QUESTION SETTLED.

SITE SELECTED BY THE COUNCIL. The Auckland City Council, at a special meeting last night, succeeded after much discussion, in arriving at a decision on the abattoirs question, which will in all probability lead to the early erection of the abattoirs and so settle the question which has been a bono of contention in the Council for the past two years. The report on the subject presented nt last ordinary mooting of tho Council by the Finance Committee, and published in the Herald of Friday last, was under consideration. Tho report submitted a proposal that the Council purchase, or acquire under tho Public Works Act, 104 acros of Fairburn's land, offored at £7500; 30 acres of Hollaby's land at, say, £150 per acre, £4500; and 12 acres of Hellaby's land offered at £1500: a total of 146 acres, at the price of, say, £13,500, which, with tho cost of buildings, roading, draining, etc., made tho total cost of the scheme, £25,000. Mr. J. Stichbury moved the adoption of the report. Mr. J. Court seconded. Mr. Parr, in moving as an amendment, " That tho Council take under tho Public Works Act only the 30 acres near Westfiold, offered by Hollaby," said he had read tho report through, and had found it rather a big order. The 30 acres ho had mentioned constituted the cream of tho position. They would have there sufficient space for the erection of tho abattoirs and sufficient paddocks for the requirements of a great number of butchers.

Iho Mayor seconded tho amendment, and read a lotter from tho Master Butchers' Association introducing a deputation. The Council agreed to hear the views of the three members of the deputation, Messrs. Moody, Knight, and Norgrove. Mr. Moody, who was tho first member of i the deputation to address the Council, said it was unfair that Messrs. Hollaby should be allowed to remain where they were whilst the small butchers should bo compelled to slaughter at Otahuhu. Why should they go eleven miles beyond tho boundary of tho city for an abattoir? Ho asked members of the Council to use thoir influence with members of Parliament to allow the city abattoirs to remain where they are at present till auoh tame as the whole of the butchers in the city were placed upon an equal footing regarding slaughtering at Otahuhu. Messrs. Knight and Norgrove, the other members of the deputation, also spoke. Mr. F. E. Baume expressed the opinion that they would be wise to defer the whole question until the new Council was elected. The scheme was one of such magnitude that the electorate ought to have a voice in it, and it -might be mado a test question. Mr. J. W. Hewson held that tho Council had not yet sufficient idea of what sort of an abattoir they wanted. The report was ho* sufficiently in detail, and its estimates of revenue were misleading. The revenue was estimated on 500 cattle per week, or 2600 a year, while the actual number of cattle killed for consumption in Auckland last year was, according to the Government returns, only 1500. Then there was an estimate of 4000 sheep a week, or 208,000 a year, while' the actual number of sheen killed last year was 96,000. He thought the whole matter should be deferred so that it would fall to be dealt j with by the new Council. ■ * ; Mr. John Court saw no reason for further deferring the matter. He believed that Hel- ; laby's and Salmon's would havo to slaughter at the city abattoirs, and at any rato these firms would have to pay tho fees. Mr. A. E. Glover supported the proposal to defer the matter for - the new Council. , Mr. McLeod said he had been as consistent a supporter of the independent butchers as any member of the Council, but ho was always open to conviction. They must select their site where the people were willing to have them. Every borough, with the exception of Otahuhu. had declined to have anything to do with them. They had had a number of protests, and were hardly in a position to pick and choose. They would havo to go to Otahuhu. The Mayor said he thought tho Council would be unwise not to settle this question before going out of office. To go with the question to the public was like admitting they were not fit to deal with it, and going with a plea to the public to send men to the Council who would be competent to deal with the matter. Reflections had been made against himself because of the stand he had taken on this question. Personal motives had been suggested. That ho despised,. He had suffered financially. That he passed over. They had no wish to injure the small butchers, Whether a man killed one bullock or a hundred bullocks he had a right to be considered. The question ought to be settled now once for all. It was useless to go on continually having discussions, receiving deputations and never arriving at a final decision.

Mr. Stichbury said ho sympathised with the small butchers and had stuck to them, but the Government simply would not agree to the sites near the town suggested in the. interests of the butchers.

A vote was then taken on Mr. Parr's amendment, with the following result: — For the amendment, Messrs. Stichbury, Court, Parr, Dignan, McLeod, Patterson and the Mayor (7). Against the amendment, Messrs. Hewson, Glover, Rossor, Ju- . ' * lian, Grey, Baume and Hannan (7). The votes being equal the Mayor gave his casting vote in favour of the amendment. Mr. Baume then moved a further amendment, " That the matter be deferred for two months." After a good half-hour's discussion the vote was taken on this amendment, with the same result, seven votes for and seven against, the Mayor giving his casting vote against the amendment aud declaring it lost. - Mr. Glover then moved a further amendment, "That the matter bo deferred for a month." Mr. Hewson seconed. ' The amendment was lost, the voting being as before. . . ■ ! Mr. Parr's motion to purchaso Hellaby's . site of 30 acres at Otahuhu was then put, * with the result that there were seven votes V for and seven against. The Mayor gave" his casting vote in favour of tho motion, and it was declared carried. ~, '■•"■" The site which the Council thus decided to acquire under the Public Works Aofc,,, consists of 30 acres at Otahuhu, abutting o» the Freezing Company's yard and having frontages to the Great South Road and - ! Portage Road and a sea frontage. The railway runs between the site and the Freezing ( Company's siding. Immediately opposite , the Portage Road trontago is tho Loan »IK* . . j Mercantile saleyards.