FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 34, 5 June 1924, Page 4

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.

DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITY. Explanation by Minister. In reply to the Piako County Council’s suggestion that the Department of Agriculture should take more stringent measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease to New Zealand, the Minister (Hon. W. Nosworthy) has written that he would “be interested to learn in what respect your council considers the present resolutions are not suffi- • ciently stringent.” The Minister assured the council that the position in other countries was being closely watched by the department, and every precaution had been taken to prevent the introduction of the disease into the Dominion. An order in council had been gazetted prohibiting the importation of oats, barley, maize, hay, straw, and chaff from the United States, Queensland and Western Australia, and restricting the importation of these commodities from the other Australian states, save with the consent of the Minister of Agriculture. Australia was free from foot and mouth disease and the embargo against Queensland and Western Australia had been imposed on account of the presence of cattle tick in the former and the outbreak of rinderpest in the latter. No cases of rinderpest had been reported since about the middle of December, but the Department did not contemplate the’' removal of the embargo in the meantime.

As a further special precaution regulations had been made providing for the destruction of all hay, straw or chaff packing accompanying goods imported into the Dominion from Great Britain, Ireland, or any part of the Continent of Europe, or from the United States of America, but in the case of Great Britain it was provided that the desruction would not be required when the goods were accompanied by a sworn certificate or statutory declaration to the effect that the hay, straw, or chaff used for packing had been disinfected in the prescribed manner. Briefly put the position was as follows:

(a) The importation of cattle from the countries where foot and mouth disease is prevalent is absolutely prohibited.

(b) Special precautions are being taken to prevent the introduction of the disease per medium of fodder and packing material.

(c) Fodder accompanying horses imported from Great Britain is being dumped before the vessel carrying same enters port. As regards the movement of horses between New Zealand and Australia the Minister assured the council that the Department would not hesitate to prohibit that if such a course of action was considered necessary to safeguard the live stock, interests in the Dominion, but as already indicated foot and mouth dis-

ease did not exist in Australia, and Ihere was, therefore, no possibility of its introduction by the continuation of the practice. About a score of letters from county councils supporting the Piako County Council’s action was read to the Piako council’s meeting on Monday.

The chairman did not think the Minister had got on to the point stressed by the council. Stock was still being imported from England, and the Minister should be urged to prohibit this. He asked for permission, with the clerk’s assistance, to write a letter to the Minister on the matter.