Day 288 - 28 Oct 96 - Page 08


     
     1        about whether it was the case that McDonald's were not
     2        willing to pay as much as other customers to purchase free
     3        range meat.  Mr. Bowes replied:  "I wish they would".
     4        Actually I probably can find the reference.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I do not want you to stop now because it is
     7        the sort of thing which can be picked up later.
     8
     9   MS. STEEL:   "I wish they would" is actually day 96, page 30,
    10        line 5.  He went on to say he agreed that McDonald's would
    11        only get outdoor pork if there was some left over, is day
    12        88, page 61, line 10.
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Page 88?
    15
    16   MS. STEEL:   Day 88.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Page 61?
    19
    20   MS. STEEL:   Line 10.  I think that is the right reference,
    21        anyway.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, thank you.
    24
    25   MS. STEEL:   If I just refer at this point to the formal
    26        admission made by the Plaintiffs concerning battery
    27        chickens, which was dated 6th July 1994.  This is a notice
    28        of admissions of fact pursuant to RSC Order 27, Rule 1.
    29        And number 2 under the fact admitted is that McDonald's
    30        uses eggs supplied by Osters who keep chickens in battery
    31        cages where the chickens have no freedom of movement, no
    32        access to fresh air and sunshine.
    33
    34        Now, obviously the no freedom of movement, no access to
    35        fresh air and sunshine is taken directly from the fact
    36        sheet which McDonald's are suing over, and you might think
    37        that, seeing as they are admitting that it is true, they
    38        could have just called a halt to this section of the case
    39        rather than waste everybody's time having to go through
    40        extensive evidence on the subject.  But obviously they know
    41        that the more work we have to do on issues, which even they
    42        admit are true, means that we have less time to work on
    43        other issues and it just makes it generally much more
    44        harder for us to fight this case.  I mean, in fact the
    45        admission should apply to all the chickens reared for
    46        McDonald's and for the pigs and that would have saved a lot
    47        of time in this case.
    48
    49   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes.
    50 
    51   MS. STEEL:   Moving on, the next part of the fact sheet, the 
    52        final sentence of the first section says: "Their deaths are 
    53        bloody and barbaric."  Obviously that is referring to the
    54        animals.  Well, I would say obviously "bloody" is obvious.
    55        Barbaric is a matter of opinion and which we say that we
    56        are entitled to.  If people were being killed on this scale
    57        and by the methods used, it would be considered barbaric,
    58        and therefore, we, along with many others, are entitled to
    59        the view that it is also barbaric for animals to be treated
    60        in that way.

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