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1.—12b.

W. DIMOCK.

[Letter as follows read by the Clerk.] •' Dear Sir,— " Christchurch, 29th July, 1905. " Respecting the Slaughtering and Inspection Bill which has been referred to your Committee, we beg to point out that clause 3 subsection (c) totally exempts swine from the necessity of being killed under Government inspection, and this we consider is a most serious mistake. We pay the whole salary and 10 per cent, for the Government Inspector for our works, and should be placed at a great disadvantage with other firms who do not kill under inspection. We are most strongly of the opinion that all swine sold either as fresh meat or cured as bacon in any abattoir district should be killed under Government inspection, otherwise the inspection can only be a farce. In the event of pigs not being compulsorily inspected, we respectfully suggest that in section 2 after the words ' by the windpipe,' the remainder of the clause be struck out and the following inserted: ' and the carcase must be taken to the office of a Government Inspector and there examined and stamped by him before delivery by the vendor.' Re compensation: In the past we have been allowed at the rate of ss. per head for pigs weighing under 1001b., and 10s. for those over that weight. This is very low comparing the price of pork to that of beef and mutton, considering the former is almost twice as much per pound as the latter, although the compensation is calculated at the same price. We would suggest that the compensation for pigs be at the rate of l|d. per pound, and, as the heads are bought at the same rate as the carcase, we should be allowed compensation for condemned heads at the same rate per pound as for the carcase. " Yours, &c, " H. Green and Co. " The Chairman, Stock Committee, House of Representatives, Wellington." Mr. Dimock: There is another point I should like to refer to, and that is with regard to this compensation for condemned meat. Under the 1900 Act compensation is allowed for as follows: " In the case of pigs the compensation shall be (a) for each pig weighing not less than fifty nor more than one hundred pounds dead-weight, five shillings; (b) for each pig weighing more than one hundred pounds dead-weight, fen shillings." That is to say, we get ss. for a 501b. pig and 10s. for a 100 lb. pig. Under this new Bill this is reduced to fd. per pound with the heads off. Well, we have to pay for the heads just at the same rate as for the carcase. And, again, the price of pigs is twice as much as is usually paid for mutton and beef, and yet we are only allowed the same compensation as is the case for condemned mutton or beef. I should like to ask that the amount of compensation in the case of pigs should be increased to \\A. per pound, and that the heads should be paid for too. 299. Mr. Lawry.] That is when they are absolutely condemned?— Yes. 300. What is done with those pigs? —They are boiled down. We are paying 4d. per pound. In fact, they cost us nearly sd. per pound at the present time with railage, commissions, and killing-expenses added. Mr. Victor Dimock examined. (No. 8.) 301. Hon. the Chairman.] Your name?— Victor Dimock. 302. And you wish to give evidence on the same subject?— Yes, sir. I represent Mr. Anderson, of the North Island Mild-cure Bacon Company, at Woodville. 303. Will you make a statement?— Mr. Anderson says he considers it very unfair that baconfactories, which are operating in the same district as that in which his firm operates, should be allowed to kill diseased pigs and sell them as hams and bacon to the general public, when his company's meat is under inspection. He has to pay the same price to the farmers as these other bacon-factories, and in addition he pays for inspection; and he considers it very unfair that these other bacon-factories should be allowed to sell diseased meat. He considers that your Committee, if they can see their way to do so, should make such amendments in the Bill as would make proper inspection at all bacon-factories compulsory. All pigs killed at bacon-factories should be killed under the supervision of a properly qualified Government Veterinary Surgeon. He feels very strongly upon this point. 304. Hon. Mr. T. Kelly.] Who is this gentleman you refer to?—He is the manager of the Woodville Bacon-factory. He had some pigs sent to him from Orotia Bridge by one man, and five out of seven were condemned. He had some words with the man over it, and the man said, " If you do not care to take my pigs I will send them down to Wellington to one of the Wellington butchers," and he sent them down to one of the Wellington butchers. Mr. Anderson telegraphed to Mr. Reakes to examine these pigs when they arrived, and Mr. Reakes did so, and out of the five pigs sent down he found three were badly infected with tuberculosis. Now, those three pigs would have been sold to the Wellington public as perfectly sound pigs if it had not been for Mr. Reakes going along and inspecting them. 305. Does your company do business in Wellington?— Yes, sir. 306. Anywhere else? —In Taranaki, Nelson, Marlborough, Hawke's Bay. 307. What do you do there? —We have receiving-stations there. We have receiving-stations at Waverley, Mokoia, Hawera, Eltham, Stratford, Kaponga, Otakeho, and Opunake. These pigs are brought alive to Wellington and killed at our abattoirs. 308. Where are they killed? —At our Kaiwarra slaughterhouses. 309. They are all inspected?— Yes; we have a Government Veterinary Surgeon. 310. And you know of no other factory except your own and the Woodville one which has inspection?— Those are the only two in the North Island. The other bacon-factories have no inspection, and they send away their hams and bacon whether diseased or not, 311. Are you quite sure of that? —I am quite certain of it. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given ; printing (1,450 copies), £8 os. 63. Price 6d.]

By Authority : John Mackay. Government Printer. Wellineton.—l9os. 3—l. 12b.