1.—12b

2

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Tuesday, 22nd August, 1905. Mr. Arthur Gadsby, Butcher, examined. (No. 1.) 1. Hon. the Chairman.] You wish to give evidence upon this Slaughtering and Inspection Amendment Bill?— Yes, sir. 2. Your name is?— Arthur Gadsby. 3. And your occupation?— Butcher, at the Hutt. 4. You have seen the Bill?— Yes, sir. 5. Will you now refer to the different points in the Bill to which you wish to call the attention of the Committee? —The particular point to which I would like to call attention is the clause in the Bill which permits any local authority to delegate its powers to any person or company. 6. Hon. Mr. Pitt.] Which clause is that? —Clause 7. In the case of Wellington, I object to the delegation of these jjowers by the Municipal Corporation to either of the large companies. 7. What powers do you refer to?— Killing-powers and selling-powers. 8. Mr. Hogg.] You do not want the large meat-export companies to have control of the sale of the meat?— That is so. 9. You object to their taking any powers under this Bill as to slaughtering meat for sale? — Not exactly. I object to the Municipal Corporation being allowed under this Bill to delegate their powers with regard to abattoirs to either of the large companies. If we are going to have inspection we should have public municipal abattoirs. Section 15 of the principal Act—the Act of 1900 —says (paragraph 1): " In lieu of itself establishing an abattoir, the local authority or authorities, with the exception of the local authorities respectively of the Cities of Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland, and the Borough of Invercargill, and any local authorities within a radius of eight miles of the aforesaid cities and borough, may delegate to an}' fit person or persons the power to establish the same, upon such terms and conditions as, with the previous approval of the Minister, are agreed on." Clause 7 of this Bill says, " Section fifteen of the principal Act is hereby amended by repealing paragraph one and substituting in lieu thereof the following: ' (1.) In lieu of itself establishing an abattoir a local authority may, with the consent of the Minister, delegate to any fit person or persons the power to establish the same upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed on..' " I object to the Municipal Corporation in the City of Wellington being allowed to delegate their powers to either of the large companies. I consider, if this power was delegated to either of the large companies, that the small butcher would not be treated on the same basis as if we had our own public abattoirs. We should not, for instance, get the whole of our offal, which is a very important thing to the small butcher. If there is to be any change from the present system of carrying on butchering business let us have public abattoirs, so that we are all placed on the same footing. Personally speaking, lam doing about twenty-five bullocks a week, and from a hundred and fifty to two hundred sheep. If these killing-powers are delegated to the large companies I should lose nearly the whole of my offal, and this at the end of the year would amount to a very considerable sum. I do not think any of the small butchers object to inspection; but if we are to have inspection, let us have public municipal abattoirs. 10. Hon. the Chairman.] There are no abattoirs at present in Wellington?—No, sir. 11. Where is the butchering done principally?—lt is done by the Gear Company, the Meatexport company, the Banks Company, and myself, and one or two other butchers. 12. The greater part of the work, I believe, is done by the two companies?-—Yes. 13. Can you tell the Committee bow many private slaughterhouses there are? —About eight or nine. 14. Do they supply the town only, or town and country? —Town and country. 15. I suppose the Gear Company supplies some of the shops?— The Gear Company supplies their own shops only. 16. Then, a very large proportion are supplied by the Wellington Meat-export Company?— Yes, the Meat-export Company and a private company. 17. What is this private company—a number of butchers? —No; it is a private company lately established. 18. And supposing public abattoirs were established, there would be no need for the small butchers to go to any of these companies to get their supplies?— None whatever, if they preferred buying stock and having it killed at the abattoirs. 19. And if the Municipal Corporation were to delegate their powers to either of the large companies you would lose sight of the greater part of the offal?— Yes, the greater part. 20. And if abattoirs, were erected? —There would be a by-law controlling the distribution of the offal. 21. I suppose you know there is inspection at these companies' works?— Yes. 22. Mr. Hogg.] I suppose what you really object to is that there should be private proprietors of these abattoirs. You consider that the abattoirs should be public property?—l consider so. 23. Do you object to companies, such as the Gear Company and the Wellington Meat-export Company, having shops and selling beef and mutton?—No, I do not object to that. I object to the Corporation being able to delegate their powers with regard to abattoirs to either of these companies. 24. Do you know if there is any objection to their supplying butchers?—No, I do not think so. 25. I suppose what you mean in regard to the offal is that, if killing is carried on in public