THE LANDING OF CATTLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12269, 13 May 1903, Page 6

THE LANDING OF CATTLE.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —The want of proper facilities for receiving and landing shipborne fat stock continues to be a reproach to the management of the Auckland Harbour Board. Last Friday two vessels arrived from the coast, the Waiotahi from Opotiki with 3+ head of bullocks, and the Ngunguru from Whakatane with. eight. In some cases the auctioneers arrange for a scow to receive cattle from the ship's slings, but in this particular case the scow was away, and the cattle had to be swum ashore. The vessels anchored about 140 yds off Orakci Point, and then dropped the beasts overboard, two Maoris in boats being there, presumiibly for the purpose of g-uiding the poor brutes. But it will be easily understood that, being 24 hours in a dark hold, and then to be dropped suddenly into water, goes a long way to rnaddea animals. In this particular case the cattle swam round the vessels and tried to go out to sea, and even after

reaching the shore some of them fie a again. Some of them were f' in the water, and could ■scarr>«i . ®*®t > over the largo boulders when n? otf Craw ' $ tho land. To drop beast.? wortE leac ¥ i cattle aro now, from £10 to £12 <• ' •>' '' swim, and scramble up bruised,' ov«r i r boulders, is most annoying to „{,• or ia *l» lessens the selling value; but even that, surely the Humane. Society should jT cognisance. IV & see people fined f„ «f ing horses with sore shoulders, 01 «uUW°E many hens in a box, but a prr,« glO cruelty for which a corporation i, luw? ° { left alone. n 13 » B W(^U For some years wo have been anitati-w L a proper landing wharf for cattle W g -.r still a matter of promise and noth'ir. " l * u M.r J •*. »'■ «-> >'»» tSSSfSt attention once more M this rauch-necded ;« provement- By so dung V ou will confef. great benefit on all shippers of f-.f stocfe ll Should have mentioned that a chare® nf 1 6d per head » made on all cattle %vhetW landed by scow or swum ashore.—l am etc