The Government Stock Embargo A Way Round

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 150, 13 July 1937, Page 7

The Government Stock Embargo A Way Round

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Sir, — I have been waiting to see if anyone has formed an idea for a new plan to get over the trouble caused byj the Government stock embargo, but so j far I have not noticed or herr.'d of anyone suggesting any means of getting over this blockade, which, though it embodies absolute immunity from foot-and-mouth disease, still leaves the very urgent question of new blood wkere it js. Feilding a better one, may 1 suggest the way to those stud-masters vitally interested?' Could it not be got over by introdueing the insemination system now in its infancy between Great Britain and EuropeP I read lately that the air mail was being used for this purpose between England and, I think, Russia in the matter of sheep, and I see no reason why it could not be applied to cattle. Of course, this wants thinking out, and I may say at the outset 1 ain not a studbreeder myself and so have no axe to grind.

It would mean opening up a new business between the United Kingdom and her colonies and migkt at first re quire Government support in the way of a subsidy on expenses. The thing has, of course, its weak points, the chief being, I should think, the risk of a substitution of semen from cattle other than those ckosea. It looks to me as if the matter should be taken up by the difterent beef-fireed-ers' associations, who migkt form some plan of purekasing both desirahle sires and a British l'arm to ruu them on under control of, say, the Meat Boaid to insure satisfaction in both eontr and management. Of course,. seeing the photo of an animal is not like seeing it is in the iiesk, and such faults as badly set on tailsWand faulty briskits could by standing the animal in certain positions he made not noticeable. Then, too, we we should not be able to satisfy our--selves as to how the beast is handled— a most important point. These things could only be determined satisl'aetorily at the other end, and, as 1 said before, by someone both dependable and competent. These suggestions are only put forward pending something better, and sincerely trust that someone vvith wider visiou than miue will exercise his brains aloug these or better lines. --=■ ffnnrs. etc..

Havelock North. July 13, 1927.