A MENACE TO TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1922, Page 4

A MENACE TO TARANAKI.

A letter appeared in the News the other day from. Mr. W. J. Freeth, of Pukearuhc, which should not be allowed to pass unnoticed, as it dealt with a matter of vital concern lo producers of the province. Ho mentioned that a large mob of rattle recently came overland from the north to a Taranaki freezing works, and pointed out the possibility of their bringing contagious diseases with them to Taranaki, which hitherto has been clear of them. This is a very real danger, and we are obliged to bur correspondent for drawing attention to it. When the writer was on the East Coast and in the Waikato last year he had his eyes opened to the prevalence of diseases amongst the herds, particularly of the tick. Naturally these districts are saying very little about the spread of the tick, for reasons that are obvious; but it is a fact that, the disease is making considerable headway, notwithstanding the measures that are being taken to combat it. Along the East Coast dips have been constructed, and regular dipping is being insisted upon by the authorities; but, as in the north of Auckland, the farmers do not take kindly to the enforcement of thio regulation, for dipping has a prejudicial effect upon the milk supply. We drew attention at the time to the danger of allowing cattle from the North into Taranaki, except when they were first dipped on the boundary. Hitherto few cattle have crossed- the Taumatamaire for Taranaki, and so the province has been kept clear of the tick and other cattle diseases that are rife in the north; but if mobs of cattle like those alluded to by Mr. Freeth are allowed to be driven into Taranaki, the risk of contagion is very considerable indeed. The effect on our herds would be disastrous if once the diseases got a hold. The introduction of the tick would, for instance, reduce the milk supply by a third, and have an injurious effect upon the vitality of the herds. The tick, we are authoritatively informed, is making considerable headway in the North, and in self-protection measures should he taken by the various farmers’ unions and agricultural and pastoral associations in Taranaki to prevent cattle coming in that are not first dipped. The province is at present practically free from cattle disease, and we should aim to keep it free. It is utterly useless to take action after the mischief is done, and the danger at the present time from allowing cattle from the infected districts to come into Taranaki without immersion is one that cannot be minimised.