IMPORTING STOCK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1332, 9 January 1912, Page 8

IMPORTING STOCK.

COMMENT ON KESTKICTIONS. Referring fo tlio regulations which govern the importaj ion of stock to New Zealand, Mr. J. It. MacKcnzic, of SouthJand; who has recently returned from a visit to England, had the following to say during the course of an interview with a representative of tho "Otago Witness :—"I consider they are rather too severe, and the risk on importers bringing out stock is at present too great. The voyage from London occupies from seven to eight weeks,' and then on Hie arrival of tho sheep and cattle they have to go into cjuarantiuo for J2 davs, and this after the long timo they Have been on board ship. The owners are charged pretty heavily; too, whilo their animals are kept in the quarantine station. Imports of: stock from Australia also have to go into quarantine, and whilo there they arc not well looked aftur. I received a shipment of two Hereford heifers Biid a bull recently from" Australia, and when my manager got them' to tho station they were absolutely crawling with lice. This showed they could not havo had much attention while they ,wcro Tiuarantincd. I am of the opinion that t quarantine station-should be marked off on the mainland, and tho owners of tho stock could then call in from time to timo and see that their, animals wore being attended to. Provision could be made, of course, to sco that the safety.of the stock already, in,.the country "was amply provided fur."In the last annual report of the Livo Stock and Meat Division of the Agricultural Department, the Director, Mr. C. J: Keakes, referred to tho übovo subject as follows:—". , . Tho cost to importers involved by'the quarantine regulations -has..been under., consideration,, and but for the outbursts of foot-and-mouth disease which occurredin Englaud during tho year I should have made recommendations in the direction of allowing, in tlie case of cattle and sheep, so long as the present regulations remain in force, that a portion of tho time spent oii the voyage count as part of the quarantine period, thus, relieving the importer'of. a portion of tho expenditure involved by the daily fees for'maintenance. I consider, however, that new quarantine regulations are necessary, and the sooner theso are gazetted'and put into, operation the better. In my opinion, so long as no further outbreaks of serious disease occur in Great "Britain, I 'such '"ris'Trould 'teinler extra precautions necessary, the present period'Of .quarantino imposed upon cattle, swine, sheep, and dogs from Groat Dritain could with safety be considerably reduced."