TESTING FOR T.B.

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20107, 29 November 1939, Page 13

TESTING FOR T.B.

WAIROA DAIRY HERDS GREATER INTEREST MAORIS’ ACTION PRAISED (Special to tiie Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Evidence that the owners of dairy herds in the Wairoa district are beginning to realise fully the value of having their cows tested for tuberculosis is gained from the fact that no fewer than 422 cows have been tested so far this month, while several more applications have been received. Perhaps the most pleasing feature of the activities in this direction, however, is the fact that, the Maori owners of herds are taking an interest in the testing, several of them submitting their herds. Included in the cows tested by tiie Government veterinarian this month vvere 66 in the three pas in the Rangiahua area, and of these only two were condemned, which is considered to be extremely satisfactory. It is stated that the natives in these pas are to be congratulated on their action in agreeing to have their cows tested, and it is hoped that the Maoris in the other pas in this district will follow their fine example, thus assisting in having the source of tuberculosis from milk completely eliminated from the district. Milk for the Borough It is also stated that up to the present it has been very difficult to bring home to the Maoris the great need for having their cows tested, and in view of this fact it is very encouraging to see the interest which is being displayed by the natives, as indicated by the action taken by the Rangiahua pas. Another .interesting feature of the recent activities is that all the dairy herds supplying milk to the borough have been tested and the results have been extremely satisfactory. It would appear, therefore, that the people of Wairoa have reason to congratulate themselves on getting milk guaranteed to be free from tuberculosis infection. As yet the work of testing all the herds in the Wairoa district has not been completed, but .it is hoped that those people who have expressed the desire to have their herds tested will be visited by the veterinarian shortly. The difficulty at present is to find time to cope with all the work that is to be done, but it is hoped that before long every herd in Wairoa, both European and Maori, will have been submitted for testing.