Page:Municipal Handbook of Auckland 1922.djvu/234

 and plantation, and is used exclusively for grazing stock.

Stock killed at the Auckland Municipal Abattoir for the year ending 31st March, 1921, comprised 20,650 cattle, 8,290 calves, 11,516 pigs, 98,498 sheep, and 16,528 lambs. The revenue derived from the slaughter of this stock was £18,949 4s 9d, which does not include fees paid by firms killing for local consumption at their own slaughterhouse, or for meat supplied locally by either of the freezing works. Charges for killing, etc., are regulated by by-laws.

Up to September, 1921, the Council employed its own slaughtermen, etc., but since that date the slaughtering has been done by contractors, who are also responsible to the Council for the delivery of the meat killed to the correct owners. The present general system is to load meat killed on a certain day in the early hours of the following morning. The Railway Department supplies a sufficient number of ventilated meat wagons for this purpose, but many of the butchers prefer to have their meat carried into town by motor wagon. With the advent of better roads, it is anticipated that the latter method will become general, ensuring, as it does, more speedy delivery to the shops and avoiding the repeated handling which carriage by rail necessitates.

The by-products are sold by the Council on behalf of the butchers, and are disposed of by contract, the contractors paying the Council, and the Council crediting the butchers monthly.