HOROTUI CHARGES

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20714, 26 January 1939, Page 4

HOROTUI CHARGES

u.ur:' s inaugurated MASTER BUTCHERS COMPLAIN ' I-ET'l''U Til UunOLljH c:i IL XCIL ! I Accounts recently received by Hamilton butchers i'r.-m the Auckland 1 Farmers’ Freezing Company. Limited. ■ have been ca-rulated at the increased rates Pi P - 'i by the company some lived bj th( 11 milt in Borough Coun- | cal last evening from the secretary to Hie -south Auckland Master Butchers’ ! Union. “The accounts.” stated the letter, “are being paid under protest and 1 without prejudice to any claim for a refund of the excess charged, such ; increase being considered unjust and inequitable, by reason of the fact that the exist ini- contract does not expire j till April 3u.” Legal advice, it was stated, was being sought and In the event of the increase being found not to be chargeable, liability for refund would no doubt fall on the council as well as 1 on the freezing company. Sheep Heads Condemned I Under date of December 22, com- ; plaints were also received from the union regarding the action of the , company in not killing at the works ■ between December 23 and 29, such i abtion, the union contended, being j contrary to the welfare of the trade ; and the public, while the condition of i lamb and sheep heads delivered in Hamilton on December 22 and alleged ; bad dressing of pigs delivered the I same day were also the subject of complaint. The lamb and sheep heads, stated ; the letter, were unfit for human con- ; sumption and had been condemned by | Ihe Inspector of Health. , Regarding the complaints made i about the condition of meat, the company slated in a letter also received nisi, evening that the state of the - sheep and lamb heads was due to a foreman's miscalculation. The heads had been left in an offal-truck from 3 p.m. in the afternoon until 7 a.m. , Ihe next day. The foreman had not | thought, since the temperatures were low, that cool storage was necessary. : No complaints had been received by the company regarding the dressing i of pigs delivered in Hamilton on DeI e ember 22. Comment by Councillor On Ihe matter of the closure of the works for killing over Christmas weekend, the company advised that abattoir stock were not killed on Saturdays, Monday and Tuesday following Christmas were public holidays and the only other date involved, December 23,’ had been selected by employees as one of the three days In the year, apart from public holidays, to which they were entitled. Commentinig on the matters raised, Mr W. R. Shattock said that It had been thought and felt by the Hamilton butchers that councillors were of the opinion the trade had no real grievance against the present slaughtering arrangements, so It had been decided that when there was any complaint it should be sent to the council. In that way It was hoped that the council would gain some appreciation of the sound reasons for the establishment of municipal abattoirs. It had beeu alleged that he had expressed agreement with the closure of the works over the Christmas period. That was not so, though he had not complained about the matter to the company. The company’s decision had resulted in considerable inconvenience to butchers, nor had It been m the interests of the public or of health. There was no excuse for the condition of the sheep heads. Further cause for complaint, involving the loss of hundreds of pounds to the trade, would be coming before the council at its next meeting, added Mr Shattock. These oomplalnts were being made, not to harass the council but to let it and the j public know some of the disadvantages ; under which the butchers had laboured for the past 20 years, disad- ! vantages which could be obviated by j the institution of municipal abattoirs. I Mr C. Lafferty: What about the • people who can get no meat from a Friday until a Monday? On the motion of the Mayor, Mr H. D. Caro, the letters were received. 1