The Waikato Independent SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1930. ABATTOIR ADMINISTRATION.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 3202, 22 February 1930, Page 4

The Waikato Independent SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1930. ABATTOIR ADMINISTRATION.

The Borough Council decided at the monthly meeting on Thursday evening to dispense 'with, the services of the abattoir manager, so far as his active service to the council was concerned, the manager still remaining .the inspector of meat in this district under the provisions of the department. While the action taken is to be regretted, as it may possibly mean the inspector ’s removal from Cambridge, under all the circumstances it appears that the financial situation of the abattoir compels the council to adopt the measure it has taken. At the present time the council is paying the inspector-manager £75 a year, quite apart from the £l2O per annum that it has to pay the department for the inspection of meat, and it has been clearly shown of late that the volume of business being done does not warrant it, the overhead charges a 3 a .whole being too high. At the present time the council is losing money and it has got to economise. The expenses in running the abattoir under the present conditions are such that the abattoir has got to earn revenue to the amount of £1325 a year, before the council gets a penny piece out of it. With the present staff wages run into a total of £685 and with interest and sinking fund these items alone total over £IOOO a year. As stated at the council meeting on Thursday night, when the abattoir was killing for a Te Awamutu customer the revenue per year was increased another £250. This revenue has now been cut off, and the council having slightly reduced the killing fees on big cattle, stands to lose a £IOO per annum if the present basis of administration is continued with. It will be appreciated from the brief explanation in the foregoing that the council has no choice in the matter, much as it desires to retain the manager in the district. In his services to the council Mr A. McDonald has given every satisfaction, but the fact that the council has decided to dispense with his services, does not mean that he will be entirely lost to the district. McMcDonahl will still retain his position as Government inspector. As pointed out by Cr M. Wells at, Thursday’s meeting the council has no hope of reducing its killing charges unless certain economies in administration are made. So long as the fees remain as high as they are at present there is little hope of obtaining additional business and, as stated by the Mayor, the abattoir is capable of handling meat for a much larger population than Cambridge has at the present time. It has long been felt that the council should make some endeavour to reduce the killing charges, and a drop was made on big cattle from 12/6 per head to 11/6, but the remaining schedule of fees are still comparatively high. It is appreciated that every, effort should be made to bring down the charges a little, for the retail prices of meat in Cambridge, as a whole, are lower, than anywhere in South Auckland, and on. an average are a trifle lower than city rates. As shown in the borotfgh estimates the council expected, revenue for the current year to tlie total of £1552, but so far it has only received £1166. For January the total revenue was £llO, and on this basis, with two months to the end of the financial year, it will be seen that the total revenue will be considerably below the estimate. To use the old adage the council has got to cut its cloth accordingly, and it will be appreciated that the action taken is necessary. g