No Slaughter of Chathams Stock

Grey River Argus, 7 August 1948, Page 8

No Slaughter of Chathams Stock

WELLINGTON, August 6. The reply io his inquiries was t:iat there was no foundation for a report in a monthy publication, alleging that 600 head of cattle had been shot in the Chatham Islands, because it was too expensive to bring them ic New Zealand, said the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. E. L. Cullen, to-day. The latest information was that on the Chatham Islands there were about 3800 head of cattk, but almost all of Them were of a very poor variety and used chiefly to keep the scrub and rough pastures In check, the Minister said. There werhowever, about 250 head of dairy cattle in mil.< there. The sheep population was 121,788 head. Although the shipping communicationwere less frequent than they might be. considerable numbers of sheep and occasionally cattle, were brought to Lyttelton for disposal. The present shinning service was better than before the war. The service was now maintained Lv the Port Waikato which normally carried about 1300 sheep, but occasionally carried cattle instead. Loading was interrupted by bad weather for several days. Sheep and wool, however were the main outward cargo.