More than 150 retail poultry dealers yesterday protested vigorously against the decision of Judge Otto A. Rosalsky, the Mayor’s mediator in recent poultry market difficulties, taxing poultry one cent per pound to pay the cost of rabbinical supervision. The protest was made at a meeting at the Hunts Point Palace, 163rd street and Southern boulevard, Bronx.
A resolution was adopted scoring the tax as “unfair” and a committee was appointed to interview Mayor LaGuardia before Friday, the deadline set by Judge Rosalsky for acceptance of the decision.
Speakers yesterday argued that the public will not be able to stand the tax and that the poultry industry will be ruined.
“They claim that the people will pay,” declared Nathan Gordon, president of the Kosher Retail Poultry Dealers. “They expect to make plenty of money through us; we’ll skin the public while they stuff money in their pockets. But we will not permit it. We are prepared to fight to the very end.”
Other speakers at the protest meeting were: Sol Obrentz, secretary of the association; Louis Merchant, treasurer; Abraham Belsky, Samuel Kamche, William Augenbrum and Harry Flamm.
WILL DEFY ROSALSKY
Poultry wholesalers will defy Judge Rosalsky to enforce his decision at a conference in City Hall Friday, it was learned authoritatively yesterday.
At a parley last week Judge Rosalsky served the wholesalers with an ultimatum that if they do not accept his decision he will force it on them. The Kashruth Association resolved last week to place a ban on all poultry if the wholesalers do not accept the decision. The shochtim, at an executive meeting, decided to support the association in any stand it will take.
Judge Rosalsky gave the wholesalers until October 5 to answer. The answer is expected to be that the wholesalers cannot afford to abide by the decision and consequently will refuse.
Asked what the wholesalers will do if the rabbis place a ban on poultry, a spokesman said, “We can get other rabbis who are not members of the association and will approve the poultry.”
The decision provides for tagging chickens to certify that they are killed according to the Jewish ritual. The spokesman said that market men are unanimous in rejecting this.
Payment of shochtim at $60 per week to kill 12,000 pounds of poultry is also provided for. The wholesalers are willing to pay $45.
The wholesalers are willing to institute a modified rabbinical supervision into their markets, while Judge Rosalsky’s decision provides for strict supervision under the Kashruth Association.
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