The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29. CONTROL OF ANIMAL DISEASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 33, 29 January 1908, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29. CONTROL OF ANIMAL DISEASE.

The agricultural editor of the New Zealaud Times takes u- to task over oui | recent strictures iu regard to the J'roccdiire necessary before a veterinai iaii can attend to of disease among tin- stock ol the district ill which lie is located. Tilt' New, vtmaiked at the lime: -"Hotort' the veterinarian call

visit :i farm in order to investigate dis-oa-c Ihe Stock IVpartmciit in Welling- | urn niu-l be notilicd. and it in turn communicate.- with the district veterinarian if the c.ir-e is beyond the bounds of the stock inspector's knowledge. fn the j meantime while the red-tape regulations are being complied with there is every chance of the sick animal dying." The 'rime- -ays thai we hiive evidently been 1 workini: on our imagination. Our W^l-

liicton contemporary goes cm to nay: •■There have undoubtedly been certain regulation- in the pa-i which did nol ' permit ''of the necessary freedom of action between tlie local authorities. Ihe profes-ioital man on the mi' hand and the ollicei concerned in carrying out legal enactment- on the other hand. The pro<cnl po-ilion, however, id much more -ati-i.lct.lry; in Kict, so far as we can see. the Department is doing its best in facilitate the treatment of disease, 't j -lionl.l Ih' pointed out, in the first place, i that the State veterinarians are not ckI pected. nor does it eome within their duly, tci Heat individual cases of ordinI ary' disease in -lock, though there is I n»i lung- t<> prevent' them giving their advice to any farmer who should desire it." 'As to the relation of the stock inspector to the veterinary, the following extract from an ollicial circular of in - -.traction- issued to the former will." continues Ihe Times, ".show how misI taken is the view taken by the New-:- - 'The inspector is enjoined to refer to the I veterinary for his advice and decision | and to act as directed by him as far as treatment or disposal of the diseased animal or animals is concerned. Unusual or particularly interesting cases of disI eases, also any outbreak of such diseases

aK anthrax, blackleg, swine fever, etc.. or any special mortality from other causes, shall he at once reported by the inspector to the veterinary iiy the most; expeditious mean?.' " As to the veterinary investigating disease which has not been reported to him by an inspector, the Timer: thinks there is no obstacle even to this, but it is required that when a disease is located by the veterinary the local inspector should be acquainted with the fact. To sum up the position of Hie control of animal disease briefly, the veterinary is regarded as the authority on the matter, and the inspector is the police officer. Both, remarks the Times, should be made cognisant of the presence of disease in a district with as little delay as possible, and where the right mutual understanding exists there is apparently nothing in the regulations to hamper either official in his work.

Now, had the full context of the olliciil circular from which the extract is taken been supplied, our contemporary might have come to a different conclusion thin that "the Department is doing its best to facilitate the treatment of disease." Will the New Zealand Times deny the following statements:—(l) That the re-r-poiisibilily and legal authority for control of disease lies in the hands of the inspectors, who, the Times admits, arc not "authorities''—in other words, know no more about disease (if as much) as the owners of stock themselves? (2) i That the veterinarians have absolutely I no legal right to interfere in matters of ! disease except through an inspector, and j no control over the inspectors theuii selves'.' (3) 'that dairy inspection, so | lar as .New Plymouth is concerned at all events, has been taken from an inspector who had received some training in hygiene and given to one who has" had none, and that this lias happened at several other towns (Gore, Blenheim, Lytlelton. and others) ? (4) That while the dairy industry is the most important in Hie colony, the man in charge of dairy inspection—namely, the Chief Inspector ■ t Stock—has had no special training, while the Chief \ eterinanan, who less than a year ago returned.from a visit to Kurope (taken at his own expense). [ where he had studied the'latest findings "f the highest authorities, is not allowed to control the work or even (apparently) to refer to the subject in his annual l'eI""" 1 ? 'I is really time attention was called to the waste of .public monev in regard to stoA- and dairv inspection. » ith considerable vehemence the Minis, ter for Agriculture stated in the House and out that from the date he to)k charge of the Department no one would be appointed to a position as an expert without having first received trainiin» I low has this been borne" out? According lo the official reports of the Department, his fir,t appointment was that of a "thief Inspector of Stock"-a man nlio.«e qualincalions were exactly those «< any farmer in the Dominion. Recent v some ten or twelve dairy inspecfo-s Imo Leon appointed, and now thev are appointed and are receiving salaries they are to he trained! One wonders how many of the students of Lincoln I ollegc would have lieen glad to have revived a chance of these appointments which are to cost the country so much money, and for what?-to send, as the New Zealand Times puts it. a lot of "poheemen inspectors" ( 0 the dairv-armcr-mspectors who have much to learn.

Take the organisation of the Department a? n whole in regard to diseases <it stock. It runs like this in its relation to a dairy-farmer, and accepting tile New Zealand Times' definition of jm inspector:—••Policeman" No. 1 (dairy ini sptvtor). controlled by "Policeman" _\o. i 1 i-lockjnspeetor), controlled bv "IV , , of uistnet). who may—or may not. as . lie pleases-refer the mailer that is af- '. lo.t.ng 11,0 health of the farmer's he'd . lo I lie MAX WHO KNOWS (a veterinarian) lor advice! mving obtained ad- . vice, the ••policemen" can follow it or ! iS'ioie it a« they please, as the rctcrinf avian is „nly an "authority-' and doesn't conn; in the Departmental scheme. All this would be tunny if it did not cost fo ■ much. The TTon. Mr. McNnb, speaking at liisuornc a week or so ago, remarked that the veterinary branch of the De-

partment of Agriculture was. in (ho n „j. mat industry, the equivalent of the Public Health Department. K would ho interesting Ir, hear the comment of the f'hiet Health Oflicer if it were proposed lo organic his Department in the ivav the \ elermary branch is organised. It would mean (hat -111 All his work would be submitted through a lay secretary in-lead oi direct to his Minute,-; (2) the Chief .Sanitary Inspector would be absolutely ami h-allv respoii-ible for the public 1,,-nlth: i:i) i,o medical oflicer ould investigate any suspect ,-d < on lagious disease without it Wing reported to the Sanitary Inspector: (-1) if the Medical llllieev told the Sanitary Inspoo. tor l.i do certain work he would have no power to see that he ,lid so: (.-,) any male adult would be eligible for appoint. I men! as Sanitary Inspector. \„, v „„!,. -tiliile Stock Inspivlor for Sanitary In- (

i-pcvtor. ;hi,l Vein-marian 'or Mo.lic.n niii,.,.,-. ;,,„! „,. | lnvo ~ i,,,,. .i-,,,,.!, of tll( , po-iiion of Hie veterinary l.vanch of the i>i-]>arfmont of Agriculture to-day. We recognise the vnlnp of the Agriculiur.il Department—the man would go about with his eyes shut if he did not, 'particularly in Taraimki—hut we contend there is consider.ahlp room for improvement in the working and administration of i the Department ami a need for tlie reimiviil of (In- mass of red-tape that : s liaiiiporiii" tho discharge of thp workin a proper ami cliieipnt manner. The Department, capable of so much good, ami in many respects a source of considpralilp help |o our producers, even under present conditions is not being worked as mi efficient business should he condueled, and consequently thp results are by nn means as satisfactory as they might be. and what from the evpendi- I tore „f lb- largo amount of money entailed in Ihe maintenance of the Depart lit. we all have a v'edil in <-k I pect. " I