The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1911. TUBERCULOUS COWS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 July 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1911. TUBERCULOUS COWS.

The safeguarding of the public health from risk of consumption caused hy purveying the milk of tuberculous cows is a duty whicili tho New Zealand. Government undertakes; and against the wisdom of so doing there can be no -sound argument. Nevertheless, there is a grievous detriment occasioned, to the well-being of many dairy fanners by the Government officials' frequent condemnations of apparently healthy cows which have failed to pass the tests for immunity from tuberculosis which the liea.lth authorities apply to dairymen's herds from time to time. Mr \Y. Archibald, a

local ami very recent sufferer from such a departmental condemnation, pointed out (in 'I'he Chronicle last Monday), sonic o.f the 'hardships which such condemnations impose upon dairymen and milk vendors, especially insofar as there is r.;> guarantee that the cnws wliicii they buy to replace the condemned oik > will not lie tested and found equally short of a pure health standard. His suggestion that the Government should set up and conduct catt!.» farms from which oHicially Lestcd and oHicially guaranteed stock would Ik* -obtainable deserves to lie weighed and exhaustively discussed by fanning community of the county. No doubt there is a good deal to be urged for it, and aho a good deal to lie contended against it: but it lias, at least, t!:n i merit of biMii:>; a specilic suggestion backed by a pi'iiiKi, facie prospect of successful -application. Tho letter of .Mr Archibald deserves to lie read and discussed by the local branches of t!". . New Zealand Fanners' Union, for instance: and we have no doubt that

even if our correspomlont's suggestions did not iiici't witili wluileJieartod approval of the ■brandies, thoy would elicit at least some alternative suggestions that wriild l> helpful to the health autho; iti :s at: ! ak> beneficial to the fanning community. We will he interested i:i noticing which of our district branches of t!:e union will he first to take up the matter: Sihanuon, Levin, or Otaki. CViitiiinly the financial aspect of the condemned cow problem is one of especial interest to every stockowner in the county, and this subject could bo discussed with protit by everv brand) in the dominion.