CIVIL BUSINESS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 2 September 1908, Page 5

CIVIL BUSINESS.

>UD£MENT FOR DEFENDANTS

TUCKER BRQS. v BOROUGH COUNCIL AND WANGANUI MEAT ? FREEZING COMPANY.

: y'rite above case was resumed at ll a,m..wlien Mr Coheii put in all the correspondence in the matter, and called : . C."" J Stone. Government Meat Inispector, employed with Wanganui Freezing Company since March, 1906. Ha<l practically inspected all meat for export and abattoirs. .Witness had never seen any regulations at the .abattoirs. The beasts after they were Killed were ticketed with, the butcher's name they belonged to. There was no distinguishing brand to distinguish beasts before killing. There were no separate pens. In September last year improvements were being made in the abattoirs, and there was a cessation of slaughtering cattle until 17th January, 1908 Witness described pithing place prior to September, 1907. He hacfr seen six cattle in the pen at a time. He thought six too many, three would bn a fair number. Any more than three would be too many. If there were more the beasts could not be properly Wed. The effect of pithing was to gain control of the animal, whose throat should at once bo cut. If there" were three one man would do the pithing ?"i? i1 er anotner- Had seen cattle killed that had not been properly bled. The circumstances induced this. The result on the meat would be that it would be a bad colour, would not keep long, and would ; not pickle well. TJp to September last year all the meat was killed in the sa. me place by the same men. The slaughtermen could not tell whose beasts were being slaughtered. There was a difference in slaughtering freezing and abattoir sheep. Since January an up-to-date slaughterhouse had been built. There were two pithing pens, each containing; a beast, which }\as immediately dealt with on being killed. There had been an improvement in the handling of the beef—in the facilities and actual handling of same. The beef is now bled better—a most important question. Since January, 1908, the ..sheep were killed in much the same way as before. Had inspected Aramoho during the five months slaughtering was donf* -there. Only occasionally inspected the meat of the Company killed for retail purposes at Aramoho before September, 1907. The surroundings at Aramoho were different from Castlecliff. Considered Aramoho a better place than Castlecliff for killing. The Company's meat for retail shops only was killed at Aramoho, and this meat had a.-bettor appearance than that killed at Castlecliff. This was due in witness's o-iiiion to the fact thn+, at Aramoho there were two single pithing 9! aJ^ that c Ineat WaS niUlt? "P to bleed. There was ap Tactical advantage in having the meat killed at Aramoho before September, 1907. To His Honour: All the killing is now done at Aramoho in a most improved style.

To Mr Cohen?: Witness considered a separate abattoir for killins ordinary meat from export meat would be better Ihere was a separate time for killinoabattoir stuff, generally early in the mornmff, and the export mpat w^s killed afterwards. If butchers' cattle were brought in during the day they mi ? ht bo killed next morning. Had known

butchers' s tock killed in the evening ifi there was pressure. Did not know SS export work at a pressure was done be! fore ihe butchers' "work. Remembered h IS attention being called to gut-boy, tossing butchers' sheep. It wf S a S filing. If butchers' cattle were brought <Wn when say, 100 export cattle wire ot +1 a wtOu ir would ten<* to exeit* the butchers' beasts. lo His Honour: About 70 head of w\? WGl'° kllled here for su PP]y Per

?j £ r C<>hen: More export ■ sto.-.?s would bo about between December and + Ul?°7r an imPortant time with re<*arl to lulling meat . Witness had seen the abattoir at New Plymouth and knew they borrowed £7000 for it. His Honour: Did they borrow again? Witness: Yes, they did. To Mr Cohen: The meat at New Ply. mouth is taken away -by each butcher from separate pens. To His Honour: The butchers <ako the whole beast.

To Mr Cohen: Witness knew Ihe ?o/^ ra. aW° ir- Would say it cost &,2UW to build. It is up-to-date. T/i all abattoirs he had been in, tho butchers took away everything except the ottal drained away. Have heard complaints from plaintiff as to how his ; meat was killed. he had a | gom" with all the butchers. Witness ! told them to complain to the Manager. ( Considered on several occasions theie i were grounds for the complaints. Mr Tucker had drawn his attention to sheep badly wiped out, and covered with blood and manure. Mr Tuck»r I had complained at the works to bam and had got him from his house to show 'him sheep. Had not heard of a porciplaimt for 4or 5 months now. Co.isi.ler there were good grounds for the complaints. The Company left kilUag at Aramoho on Ist May, 1908. Could jir.t say why they continued killing at Aramoho until then. Witness had seen a lot of unused meat for the butchers. The bruising might be, due to many things such as the mixing up of strange cattle, which had occurred, and should not occur at a proper abattoir. There was now plenty of room at• CascleoKff. He had been given to understand that improvements as to room w-jjld be made for the next season. The slaughtering is under the supervis/on of Mr Marsden. Witness had been approached last year as to whether he wc-ild inspect the slaughtering and he. said he would if the Department wv,il<l consent. Had told Mr Cresswell that he would act if remunerated as the Department required, and the Company would not agree. , To Mr Hutton : Could not say who had told him extra pens w-xhd be provided for the next season. Witness did not see all the animals sla'i^'i'ecod.- JTe was there pretty well ai! the diiine the killing was going on. The complaints' were not continued. ; Supposed complaints might occur in best id acted abattoirs. Six animals were, in one pen frequently— not on one isolated■■occasion. Could nob say wVvvmr this was at the time when .he <:s was t rouble with the. slaughtermen at tho abattoir. Was at New Plymouth four veors ego. and could not say what the str.te of things there is now. Did n.( knowthere was a digestor thoro now, but knew one was contemplated. Witness was responsible entirety to the Government.- Had been an "i.vspeoior in the Government since 1900. "Had fr-en at the Gear Company. Langbur-i, and other places. '

To Mr Barnicoat: Had received no complaint whatever since January. Hardly thought the da/ughtermon would know i;he difference; between :ifce> ; Gk«irpafly's vretait stie©p;:;;iaiHl:■J&i t>u|^ chers?v-reta'ilv:sheet>^ :' W! 3V!"! ■■.■"'''

■YTor-Mr^heii^-Witiiess^was'not'cleatc"''-'"' about who would work the digester at New Plymouth. The Company's freezing sheep were killed at the san>.v> rail as the butchers' sheep. Walter Ludlaro, of Wanganui, butcher , formerly worked for theFreejiin,* Company as a slaughterman. . To His Honour: Left the Company three years ago. V To Mr Cohen,: Have seen the slaugh-, tering from time to time during the last three years. Had never complained about his meat being improperly killed. Had had no reason to complain. Had noticed, the meat in the Company's shops. Knew it had been killed at Aramoho till lately. The meat in the Company's shops was brighter looking. It was a disadvantage to. w;^&v"*jry: butcher that . the -Sfcmpi^?* ££ should bay© that appearance and his not. Does not consider the Company's competition with the butchers fair. The Company knew of all the stuff that went through the butchers' bands, and also the stock got disturbed at the busy times of the year. To Mr Hutton: Would not; say whether the Company's meat looked* better now, The conditions as to slaughtering would bo the same at both places-jmtil the busy season.. - George Bennett, of Wanganui. butcher, had been in bueiness for two years and his meat had been killed by the Company. - Had complained on several occasions. Did not think it right that the Company should handle the butchers' stock. Since May witness thought things were better.' Witness! had seen gut-boys dressing abattoir* sheep, and drawn the Inspector's. attention to the fact. Had been doubtfuJ whether he had received his own meat back. Had complained.and argued about it. Previous to May noticed difference of retail meat referred to. To Mr Hutton: Did not draw Mr Mnrsden's attention to matter he complained to Inspector about John Patrick Melody, employed as slaughterman by the Wanganui" Freezing Company. Was working at Aramoho when the Company commenced their retail business. Thought he was able to do . work better at Aramoho than at Castlecliff at that time. Any slaughterman would turn out better work at Aramoho. To Mr Hutton: The carcases could be pulled up better at Aramoho to bleed than at Castlecliff when ho was there. Castlecliff was a better place now, except from the point of view of quietness . To Mi- Barnicoat: Gould not say when rhe improvements w»»re startod at Cas-tle-liff. To Mr Cohen: Would sooner hare meat-killed at Aramoho. Thomas Mitchell, of Wanganui, butcher, at one time proprietor of Aramoho • Freezing Works, was erecting slaugh-ter-house opposite Castlecliff, down the river. Built the Aramoho slaughter-' house for about £250. Propose spending £1000 on the new one, and was going to put up machinery to- treab offal. His new works would be about three miles from town. There was' a beach road. Witness ha<i got a license trom the County Council and the Stock ■Department. To Mr Barnicoat: The Company waa floattd. The monetary arrangements were hems; gone on with and the works were to be gone on with. There waa no question about the road. He had not to go through private property. • i?t s Honoiir: Would be able to sellin Wanganui the same as at Aramolio. Would be subject to inspection by a Government officer. This closed the case for the plaintiff + i, x 1 s x, onour said il> seemed to him that the only open question was- the ixjmpany could carry on an abattoir when they were at the same time in competition in retail trade with the local butchers. nn™^ BarniCoaV?. r tK« Corporation moved for a non-suit as far as -one Borough Council was concerned, (Continued on Page 8).