FRANKTON SALEYARDS

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18703, 1 August 1932, Page 6

FRANKTON SALEYARDS

AUCTIONEERS’ VIEWS. MOST CONVENIENT PLACE. TRADE LOSS THROUGH MOVING. “Where saleyards are Inside & town, such as at Hamilton and at Christchurch (which is ten times the size of Hamilton), as long as they are kept in proper order and clean, tney are quite satisfactory and not a danger to health," said a well-known stock auctioneer when discussing Frankton saleyards question with a Waikato Times representative. * ou might just as well say that farmers because they are continually handlh o stock, are liable to all sorts of diseases," he added. "The question of moving a saleyard Is a difficult one. Twenty years ago there was a flourishing one just on the boundary of Oamaru. It was moved a mile and a half out to a railway junction. Another yard started in opposition in the other direction, and sales have never been so good since. “The saleyards are a great help to the business of Hamilton. If shifted to Horotiu a great deal of trade would be lost to this town, as people coming in from the north would do their shopping in Ngaruawahia. “Horotiu would also be more awkward for the consignment of stock, owing to having to have a special shunter to it. Frankton is the ideal spot from the buyers' and sellers points of view. Animals purchased may be trucked within the hour. As it is, the Frankton sale is one of the, if not the, best in the Dominion. If, the yards were shifted the Government would have to be requested to stop the siding at Frankton, which I do not think it would do. The department would still use the siding for loading stock. “As far as dangerous stock is concerned, I would point out that nearly all the cattle dealt with are dairy stock. The days of ‘wild’ cattle are gone, and I do not think those reoeived at the Frankton yards average more than 2 per cent, of the total. “I very much doubt the value of the contention that if the saleyards were removed from Frankton more csidential building would take place there. Would people build alongside the box factory, sawmill and shunting yards? No, The place is oniy.flt i'Jr stock yards.” “MUST BE MOVED.” sooner or later. WIDER SCHEME FAVOURED. “We are endeavouring to make Frankton a metropolitan saleyards in the sense that Westfield and Addington are," said another prominent auctioneer when interviewed.' “Wherever you place the yards they must be handy to Hamilton. It is essential that they should be on the main trunk line. “With the railway facilities in the trucking yards at present at Frankton. it is hardly likely that the saleyards can be mdvid satisfactorily yet, “The present yards are cramped and out of date, but if kept properly clean should be no menace to health. “Stock do not wander about the roads any more than in the old days. Cattle certainly do not like the modern hard Concrete and bitumen roads, and make for the soft ground, and horses cannot be manipulated so well on hard surfaces, If stock are not kept to their regular routes action is soon taken against the offending drovers. “There remains no doubt that the saleyards will have to be shifted sooner or later, and the nearer to the town naturally the better, If suitable accommodation were available Te Rapa would be preferable to Horotiu. if the question of moving is decided upon I think the larger scheme of saleyards and abattoirs must be gone into. A site large enough to build butchers’ abattoirs adjacent would be an improvement on present condi-