1970 — Page 17

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MRS. ELLIOTT:-You said all cases marked "Urgent" are dealt with urgently. Would you consider, may be I shouldn't ask you for your opinion, but 29th January and I got a reply on 3rd April. Would you call that urgent? Mr. Chairman, I am very serious about this. There are some very urgent cases. A sick woman evicted and all her furniture taken, confiscated. What can we do about it?

CHAIRMAN: --Mrs. ELLIOTT, it is no good raising individual cases at this stage. Please pass the information to me after the meeting and I'll do what I can.

MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, I would express my expert opinion on it. I should think that if people ask for domestic resettlement, usually they are quite urgent. I should think they are quite different from the people who ask for the shop resettlement.

(7) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:-

Could the Chairman please inform the Council when the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir began to operate? How many slaughtering machines are in operation? Are they work- ing satisfactorily? There are complaints about the present operation of Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir in that it cannot satisfy the market need and charges are too high. Could an explanation be given by the Chairman?

THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:

This question concerns the operation of the new Cheung Sha

Wan Abattoir.

This abattoir started to slaughter cattle on 1st August, 1969, and became fully operational on 17th March, 1970, when the slaughtering of pigs and goats was also transferred to it from the old Ma Tau Kok Slaughterhouse which then closed down.

Pigs are dealt with on two fully mechanized dressing lines, whereas the slaughtering line and dressing beds for cattle are only partially mechanized. The abattoir is capable of handling 3,600 pigs and 400 cattle per 8-hour day, and the output can be further increased by overtime to meet demands during festivals or peak seasons. Normally about 290 cattle and 3,580 pigs are killed daily. Apart from the inevitable teething troubles experienced during the first two days of operation, the staff are now working the line-system satisfactorily and are coping with the work load.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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At the old slaughterhouse, the slaughter fees were $2 per head for pigs or goats or sheep and $4 per head for cattle. At the new abattoir, the fees per head are as follows:-

Pigs (25 lbs. or less)

Pigs (over 25 lbs.)

Cattle (60 lbs. or less)

Cattle (over 60 lbs.) Goats or sheep

$ 3.00

$ 6.00

$ 6.00

$15.00

$ 6.00

I must point out however that the old charges covered only the use of the slaughterhouse premises and the cost of transportation. Additional fees had to be paid by the meat-traders to private butchers to do the actual slaughter- ing. On the other hand, the new abattoir provides a comprehensive service including slaughtering, dressing, meat-inspection, overnight storage in cooling rooms if desired, and delivery by Government transport-and it is for this reason that charges are higher. This new abattoir is rendering satisfactory service to the public and to the meat trade, as well as bringing about higher standards of meat hygiene and inspection.

MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, thank you for the answer.

--

I have one supplementary to ask. The 3,600 pigs slaughtered per day. Is that sufficient to satisfy the demand of the whole Colony?

CHAIRMAN:-No, only Kowloon, New Kowloon and Tsuen Wan.

MR. HU: Only New Kowloon and Tsuen Wan. How about the other areas, for example in Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui? Do they also get pigs from this slaughter house?

CHAIRMAN:-Of course.

I was distinguishing between Hong Kong and Kowloon, New Kowloon and the Territories.

MR. HU:-In other words, excluding Hong Kong, the 3,600 pigs provide for the needs of the whole of Kowloon?

CHAIRMAN:-That is so.

MR. HU:-Including New Territories?

CHAIRMAN:-Those parts of the Territories that require them.

MR. HU: Is that sufficient to satisfy them?

CHAIRMAN:---The traders bring in the pigs and the cattle for slaughter. We slaughter as many as they need.