THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.

Evening Star, Issue 3978, 24 November 1875, Page 3

THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.

This mo’ning Messrs Shand, M.P.C., Allan, M.P.C., Charters, and George Praia, as representing rhe Taieri Agricubuial S- ciety, waited on the. Superintendent and piesented from that body the following m morial, which was addressed to his Honor:— That, according to tbe most recent advices from Britain, foot and month disease in cattle, sheep, and swine, is extremely prevalent there, especially in England and Ireland. That the introduction of a disease of so highly coalagions and infectious a character amongst the cattle and sheep of the Province would he most disastrous, and prove ruinous to both classes of scocl owners. That so far as your memorialists are aware, there does not exist any restri t'on to the importation into the Colony of either class of stock from Britain or other part of Europe; and in their opinion so laige and impoitant interests at stake require that the most stringent measures should he adopted without delay to prevent the introduction of this as well as of any other form of cattle disease into the Province. That your memorialists, whiie fully alive to the importance of giving every facility and encouragement to the int; eduction of animals from the Home country calculated to improve tbe stock in the Colony, and earnestly desirous that no obstacles of a trifling character should be placed in the way of importers, yet feel that in the interests of importers themselves, who are, for the most part, large stockowners in the Province, it

is necessary, under present circumsiances, for the Government to adopt such measuics at once as ■would reduce the risk of the introduction of disease to a fhiuimum. May it, therefore, please your Honor and Executive Council to take the premises into your favorable consideration, and to adopt such measures as may be best fitted to accomplish the object. Mr IShand spoke at some length in support of the memorial.

His Honor, after reminding the deputation Hint the matter rested with the Otago Cattle Boaul and not with the Provincial Executive, observed that the great difficulty was to provide a pace in which to quarantine the cattle. They could riot be kept lor three months on the quaiaatine island, where they were at present, because it woiMd not do to mix up the shipments, and besides there was no arc-om limitation on the island. In the event of a second shipment arriving, the posit’ou would he very awkward. Of course considerable expense would be involved, but where the money was to come from he did not know. He had eoinumnicat- d with the owners of the cattle, with tho view of quarantineing the latter on their own properties at Moeraki under the supervision of an officer of the Government, but they declined to do that. It was just a question in his mind how far cattle, sheep, and horses differed from human beings in this matter —whether they wouldquartintiue an imm'grant ship because there happened to be disease at Home at the lime she left. The Cattls Board had reports from veterinary surgeons that the stock just arrived was perfectly healthy, and he hid arranged to have Mr Douglas at the Board’s meeting to-day to give professional advice upon the matter. It was an enormous expense to keep the animals quarantined, though, of course ihe expense was nothing compared with the introduction o f disease. What complicated the difficulty was that there was a number of shipments from Home afloat at the present time. While they could not be too cautious, it was a serious thing for the im porters, who protested against the detention of their stock and were willing to take all risk. The deputation assured his Honor that the general opinion was that whatever expense th - Government went to, if it was the means of keeping the disease out of the Province, would be well met.

His Honor had asked the Chief Sheep Inspector to lo f 'k all round the harbor side for an available spot whereon the stock could he put, so that they could not come into contact with other stock, but there was great difficulty in getting a sui cable place. He assured the deputation the Cattle Board were just as fully alive to the thing as themselves, and he hoped the Board would be able to hit upon some way of getting over the difficulty. Mr Ai lan mentioned the prevalence of disease among horses in Australia, and observed that that might be enquired into by the Board with the view of preventing the introduction of the disease into the Province.

His Honor replied that that was a question he would like to have the opinion of the deputation upon. It had be n mooted whether it would not be advisable to prohibit importation from Home altogether just now. That would not atop what stock was on the way. The deputation agreed that it would be better for a time to stop importation, Mr Charters adding that in bis experience it took , s much as ten months for the disease to develop itself.

His Honor: One thing occurred to me yesterday. I was inquiring about the people who ame out in charge of the stock, and find they Cdine into personal contact with them. Could disease be spread through those persons? Mr Charters : It has been so at Home.

His Honor found further that these men were off into the country, and there was no means of stopping them. The Board was composed of Air Ho mes, Mr James Smith, Mr M'Lean, and himself; and he expected Mr Reid would be gazetted now that the Governor had retained to Wellington, so that the thing would be gone into by men who had a large stake in the matter. Mr Sh nd remarked that no fault could be found with the Boaid.

His Honor observed that part of the cattle was for Canterbury, and the irmorters wanted to be allowed to tranship it, but in answer to his telegram the Can'erbury Cattle Board telegraphed 3hat they did not approve of that being done, and with a view of acting in concert with the Otago Board they asked for information os to what the latter were doing. He believed the true remedy was to prohibit all importations for a time, and to make the most they could with what was afloat. If importations were stopped at once, a telegram could be sent Home, and there would be no more shipments after that date. He was glad to have seen the deputation, because their experience would assist to gnioe the Board, and it was satisfactory to the Board to know that they carried the agricultural interest, which was most affected, along with it. The deputation then withdrew. A meeting of the Cattle Board was held this afternoon ; present—The Superintendent (in the chair) and Mr John MM .can. Correspondence with Messrs Russell, Ritchie, and Co. with the Canterbury Cattle Board, and a memorial from the Taieri Agricultural Society relative to the landing of the stock now on board the ship Canterbury having been read, it was resolved, “ That, as regards that portion of the said stock pro os-d to be landed here, the same be placed in quarantine on the Atw Zealand ami An tra.'ian Company’s property at Moeiaki, subject to tlie terms and cnr.dit ons set forth in the i hairman’s letter to Messrs Bussell, Ritchie, and Co., of date November 19, and in in the event of the company tailing to concur in this arrangement, said stock to be landed on the reserve opposite Quarantine Idand. In either case the Quarantine to extend over three mouths unless the Board ahal! hereafter see tit to diminish the term, all expenses to be borne by the owners of stock as provided by section 9, Diseased Cattle Act Amendment Act, 1573. Resolved further that a special meeting of all the members of the Board be summoned for Wednesday, Ist December, at twelve o’clock, to consider as to the expediency of taking steps to stop) for a time the importation of live stock from Europe.”