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COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-That is not the opinion of the Fire Services Department who are Government's advisers on what constitutes a fire risk, and what does not. I hope that the proposals made in the Management Select Committee will provide a means of enabling them to carry on without risk to the rest of the tenants in our estates.
DR. LEE:-I wonder if the Commissioner would be good enough to ask the Fire Department to provide this Council with these vital figures regarding risk of fire from quilt making, because I personally don't know of a single incident of fire arising from quilt making?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Certainly I will make enquiries and circulate the information.
MR. SALES:-Would it not have been easier had the Director of Fire Services been here to answer these questions himself?
(2) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:-
What lairage facilities are normally available in the Kennedy Town Slaughterhouse, and what steps are being taken to prevent the repetition of the unnecessary loss of cattle as so happened in a recent case?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
Lairage facilities at Kennedy Town Slaughterhouse are normally available for 2,000 head of cattle (including some buffaloes), 4,000 pigs, and 300 sheep or goats.
2.
To answer the second part of the question it is necessary first to refer to an incident which occurred shortly after 6 p.m. on October 18th beside the Kennedy Town landing wharf. I understand that a lighter from Tai Pak cattle depot, with 91 Indonesian cattle on board, arrived to discharge at the wharf. Contrary to normal practice, no release permit for these cattle from the officer in charge at Tai Pak (who issues them in response to requests from the slaughterhouses) was presented to the officer in charge on the wharf (a member of the staff of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department). It appears, though I cannot be certain of this, that someone on board, who in fact possessed a permit, went ashore as soon as the lighter came alongside, leaving the job of unloading the cattle to the drovers on the lighter.
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3. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department officer, confronted with 91 cattle for which there was no authorization, accepted 20 against a balance outstanding from a previous permit and held up the remaining 71 pending production of their permit. The lighter on which they stood was wanted for another task. Another lighter was brought alongside and the 71 cattle transferred to it, and cattle and drovers settled down in the lighter beside the jetty to await developments. Whilst the men were eating it was discovered that the lighter was taking in water. There was some panic, the lighter developed a list, and a number of cattle fell into the sea. In the event, 56 cattle were put on another lighter and sent the next day to Ma Tau Kok Slaughterhouse, 6 were saved from the sea and admitted to the Kennedy Town Slaughterhouse, 6 drowned and 3 were unaccounted for.
4.
It will be clear, I think, that had the lighter to which the 71 cattle were transferred not proved unequal to the task there would have been no accident, and that the animals were turned away not because of shortage of lairage space, but for the lack of a permit which had, in fact, been issued.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, in reference to the last sentence of your reply, in paragraph 3, where you said that three were unaccounted for, do you mean to say there was no trace?
CHAIRMAN:-Apparently not, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I beg your pardon?
CHAIRMAN:-Apparently not, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-You mean they could have been drowned, or they could have been eaten? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:-Possibly, Sir, they were swept up by the Director of Marine. (Laughter).
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, out of your answer to this question, would it not appear that there is not very good liaison between the slaughterhouse staff and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries staff?
CHAIRMAN:-I do not think that the liaison is faulty. I really have nothing to add to the answer which is in front of you.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, as a supplementary, where does the Agriculture and Fisheries Department come into the off-loading of cattle to the Kennedy Town Slaughterhouse?
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