THE BLACKLEG M RTALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8163, 23 July 1906, Page 2

THE BLACKLEG M RTALITY.

MR REAKES' REPORT. APPARENTLY NO "FORRADER." INTERVIEW WITH SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE, Mr John D. Ritchie, Secretory for Agriculture and Chief Inspector of Stock, paid a visit of inspection to New Plymouth on Saturday. During the day he accompanied Mr Rowan, Stoc'i Inspector, to the municipal abattoirs, nihl to Messrs Sole Bros.' boiling-flown establishment. Mr Ritchie, interviewed by a Daii.v News reporter stated that the abattoir was very well kept, and was very satisfactory and up-to date in every way. He mentioned that the boiling-doivn plant on the adjoining section w»s very complete, but the drainage required some alteration This, lie believed, was now being attended to, and the installation of plant seemed sufficient for tho wauts of the town for some tiino. Mr Ritchieisaid that there was nothing of any great m mient connected with his visit. " Just a few unimportant departmental matters, of no interest to the general public," lie explained, had occupied his attention during tho day. " What about blackleg P Our far. rners are anxiously awaiting some definite statement regarding the Department's report on the recent blackleg mortality," was a suggestion that drew some information.

Mr Ritchie said that tho report of Air C J. Reakes, M.R.C.V.S., was now available, aud would be dealt with one way or the other on his (Mr Ritchie's) return to Wellington. He romarked that Mr Reakes had spent some time in Taranaki, investigating the cause of the mortality, but his report was inconclusive, except that stock inspectors who conducted the inoculation of calves were exonerated from all blame. The Chief Inspector mentioned that in inoculating cal.-es for the purposes of investigation, an.l in order to compare results with those obtained by the Inspectors, the Veterinary Surgeons had not worked under the same conditions as tho Inspectors, nor had they carried out their work on the lines of the instruction sent to the Stock Inspectors. Replying to a query, Mr Ritchie stated that the Inspectors would take a long time to get through their work—it would be almost interminable—if th-y went at tho speed reached by Mr Re ikes in his vaccinations. Eleve i and twelve hundred calves a day left littlo time for disinfecting, aud so forth. The matter of compensation to owners would have to come before Parliament. Mr Ritchie's opinion was that the morta'ity had been comparatively small on th: whole, though some farmers lost-heavily. "Mr Reakes' results were no bettor than the Inspectors," he remarked. Referring to the conditions under which the innoculations were generally carried out, Mr Ritchie said these were none too satisfactory. The calves were mustered from miles round, were knocked about in many instances on the road, in the yards, or before leaving the farms; were excited by too much whip and too much dog; and as a consequence often went off their feed afterwards. At any rate, the calves were not i- tho best condition for successful vaccination. This, he thought, might be responsible for the dcitlis of calves sometimes, even without the inoculation. Mr Rl ehiej said that Mr Reakes' report would probably be available for public information.