15

I.—Bb

to put them in when they get here, as we have not the level land round Wellington. The freezing companies could not properly rest our stock, and to centralise large bodies of stock in one place is very detrimental to the stock itself. As a butcher of thirty years' experience, I can say the smaller slaughterhouses have advantages over larger companies by taking care of their own stock, by seeing that it is properly rested, and turned out from killing in a brighter and better manner than in any large slaughtering-place. I think gentlemen may see this in Wellington. Of course it might be said you could rest the stock and then take it to an abattoir; but if you have any wild stock you cannot do so, because the beast will be unsettled, and it will waste away. If stock is not properly rested it causes bone-stink. Of course, there might be certain differences in other matters, but that is caused to a great extent through not properly resting. If we had a large area of green country, or even a small area, we could properly rest our cattle. And the noise near the abattoir makes a difference. It will not do the work so well as a private slaughterhouse. Those who have erected private slaughterhouses and boiling-down works to carry on their trade will find it very hard if they are abolished without compensation. As regards compensation for diseased cattle, I think it opens up a big matter, because you must draw the line at fat cattle; and what about those for tinning? It is a most difficult matter to touch. For my own part, I think the owner who breeds these things should bear the loss. We ought to strike at the root of the evil, and condemn all the cows, and not let them be bred from—those that are diseased—and so rear up flocks and herds free from disease. 115. Hon. the Chairman.] How is Wellington provided for now in its killing arrangements ?— The Gear Company have several large shops of their own. 116. Mr. Buchanan.] How many ?—Four in the town and one in the suburbs. The Meat Export Company also supply many of those butchers who have not got their own slaughterhouses. There is a private firm at Kaiwarra, Mr. Banks, who supplies several butchers. Another one supplies four butchers in town, and allows several to have the use of his slaughterhouse at Miramar. Those living at the extreme end of the city prefer to kill there because it is nearer than those slaughterhouses at the north side of the city. Then there is myself; I kill for one or two besides myself. 117. Hon. the Chairman.] And what inspection is there?— Very little except by surprise visits in the slaughterhouse when the meat is dead. Mr. Gilruth some ten days ago visited my slaughterhouse just as a surprise. • 118. But what about the local authorities?— They take no notice in the matter; but the Government have an Inspector of Stock. Mr. Johnson goes round the slaughterhouses very carefully. 118 a. Mr. Lawry.] As I understood you spoke of the impossibility of carrying out the provisions of clause 30—that is, with regard to the slaughter-book ?—Yes, that would be almost an impossibility here ; you cannot discern brands in train sheep. 118b. Do I infer from your remarks that it would take an experienced butcher—a fast slaughterman-—as long to find out the marks as to kill his sheep?— Yes. 118 c. And you look upon this as a dead-letter, even though it become law?— Most decidedly. 118 d. In subclause (3) of clause 49 do you think there is any objection in keeping pigs near a slaughterhouse to eat up offal —that is, if the sanitary arrangements are provided for ?—I think I object to that. 118e. Do you not think they act as scavengers ?—Well, they do within moderate bounds, but I should keep the pigs away at a certain distance from the slaughterhouse, so that no smell should reach the slaughterhouse from the pigs. 119. Mr. Flatman.] You only object to subclause (3), clause 4, on account of the limited distance allowed?—l thiak that in the back-blocks, where there are no butchers, it must be allowed, but where there is means of killing meat at a properly appointed slaughterhouse they should not kill without inspection. 120. What radius would you suggest ? —About ten miles. 121. And that is the only objection you have to that clause?— Yes. 122. You do not object that the public should have the meat inspected ? —No, I would agree with that. Bather than not have meat at all they had better have it without inspection. 123. In clause 19 you say the present licensees should be allowed to retain their licenses ?—- Yes. 124. And could the Inspector inspect the meat under that system as well as he could under the abattoir system ?—I think the Inspector could go to the slaughterhouse and inspect the meat. Otherwise he could order the pluck— i.e., liver, lungs, heart, &c.—to be left in the animal, and then he could afterwards pass it or condemn it according to the regulations. 125. You think an Inspector should be appointed ; but it would probably mean an extra man ? —Yes. 126. I think I understood you to say it was only casual—this inspection. If this Bill comes in it must be necessary ?—Yes; but the butchers have been paying for inspection and have not had it. 127. What I mean is, would the butchers be willing to pay for the extra inspection if they retained their licenses ? —Most decidedly. 128. In the case of pigs, if they came down by train each night and were trucked to the abattoir, and stayed there until the next morning, would you call that immediate slaughter?— Well, I would like that defined ; the Inspector might think differently. 129. Mr. Brown.] Has the Borough Council of Wellington no Inspector of Slaughterhouses ? —No, the Borough Council has not an Inspector. Slaughterhouses are situated outside our borough. 130. And does the local authority where the slaughterhouses are inspected have the meat inspected ? —Yes ; they have an Inspector, and we pay the fees.