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28. With regard to Islington and Belfast ?—Yes; the one is seven, and the other eight miles off—too far to run in the morning. And it would be the same with regard to the offal—they would take no trouble with offal, except to get the most of the offal. 29. I want you to note the conditions I am supposing that a City Council would impose upon the Belfast Company—conditions under which a public abattoir erected by itself and the City Council would be governed—namely, that the butcher would have his own pens, slaughter for himself if he so chose, do anything he liked with his own offal, and do things just as if it was a municipal abattoir?—-They have already dealt with that —both committees of the local County Council and the City Council. They have both passed resolutions that they will have nothing whatever to do with the companies. 30. That these are to work abattoirs for themselves ? —Yes, themselves, at the request of the butchers. 31. Has the City Council appointed anybody to speak for it ?—Here. This is the resolution that they handed to me on Tuesday [passing it over to the Chairman]. [Exhibit C] Hon. the Chairman: This is from the Town Clerk, saying that they have. 32. Mr. Buchanan.] I did not know that; I had only heard a rumour. Is it true that the Christchurch Meat Company has offered to kill sheep or cattle, or both, simply for the offal ?—I have not heard so. Frederick Bryant, representing the butchers of Palmerston North, said : From clause 3 I would strike out subclause (2). I believe in a farmer killing for himself, but not to sell. There is a lot of bartering and selling done in the country —perhaps as much as is done by the butchers. In Palmerston we should like to have our own yards with inspection, otherwise a public abattoir. We, like the Christchurch people, do not believe in freezing companies. It is much better for a man to kill in his own yard. He has his own paddocks ; you drive the stock in from the paddock to the yard and kill it. It gets knocked about when with the freezing companies. In clause 18, on page 6, I would strike out the words "by the licensee thereof or his workmen." In clause 24 I would include the words " export only." If we have the abattoirs, I think the freezing companies should kill at these abattoirs, the same as the small butchers, and be on an equal footing with them, so that they could not sell their rejects in town at a cheaper rate than what the butcher could really sell his meat at. I also think compensation should be paid the butcher for the loss of buildings and plant. In my case it would mean £400 loss to me. Of course, lam only in a small way. I do not think these places should be done away with without some compensation. As for the condemned meat, I think the Government should pay for it. The people are asking for it, and I should only agree, for the Government to pay it, instead of having this different system of two or three paying. On page 9, clause 30, mention is made of keeping a slaughter-book. I have always done it, and Ido not find any inconvenience in it. I would agree to that. In clause 32, subclause (3), it says the written authority of an Inspector is required for slaughtering any stock. I should be in favour of striking that out. I think that a butcher should be allowed to remove all his offal if he think fit, and if abattoirs are built it would be better for each man to have a stall of his own, and have his own men to slaughter. I think the Council should have the right to make certain by-laws—if the butchers in a town consider it necessary for their own men to slaughter—for them to be allowed to do so, or for them to have it done by contract; because in some places we have men who have very little to do in the afternoon, and they can easily do the killing. Of course, it is not the same in every town. 33. Hon. the Chairman.] Would you say now generally whether those you represent would be in favour of the Bill if it were amended as they point out ? —Yes. 34. You prefer that to the present system ?—Well, of course we agree with inspection. Our method would be to have the slaughterhouses built to the satisfaction of the Inspector, and then register them. That would be much better for the butchers in Palmerston North generally. 35. What about the inspection now? Is there any inspection now of dead meat?— Yes, the Stock Inspector goes round the shops. 36. Begularly or very irregularly ?—Pretty regularly. 37.. Are there many shops in the town where they slaughter?— None in Palmerston North. 38. How far is the Palmerston district interfered with by cart business all round ?—About ten miles all round. 39. Mr. Flatman.] When, in your opinion, should an Inspector inspect an animal ?—in the shop or in the abattoir ?—ln the abattoir. 40. Are there any butchers in Palmerston who have their slaughterhouses in the back-yard in close proximity to the dwelling or to the shop ?—No. 41. Would you think-that was an objection from a health point of view? —Not at all. They do it in London yet, and they are kept just as clean—cleaner, in fact—than some back-yards are, and there is not so much smell as there is from a stable. 42. So that if a slaughterhouse was properly kept it would not matter if it was alongside your kitchen or bedroom ? —Not so long as there was proper sewerage. 43. If not proper sewerage there would be danger?— Yes. 44. Mr. Massey.] What do you think of Mr. Forrester's suggestion that a fund should be created from the slaughterhouse fees for the purpose of compensating owners of stock that should be condemned?—l do not agree with that. 45. Hon. Mr. Lee Smith.] I understand you to say that subclause (3) of clause 32 is unworkable—that referring to the written authority of the Inspector?— Yes. 46. Does your objection apply to the abattoir and the meat-export slaughterhouse, or only to one of them ?—Well, I think it would apply in all cases. It seems very unnecessary where you have the Inspector on the premises, as he would be. 47. How would you insure competent inspection, then ?—The Inspector would see the meat as it is killed. That is how I take it if this Bill is passed. He would not want to give his written authority ; he would stand there and see it was correct.