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Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1926, Page 12

A fine assortment of new towels lias opened up at the Melbourne, Ltd. These comprise new designs in brown towels , and two special numbers in while. Prices for coloured from 3/6 pair to 5/11 for extra large bathing kind. Prices for white are 4/11 pair and 7/11 pair; AU these values are good.

THE CATTLE TICK MENACE. There will be considerable sympathy throughout Taranaki with the views expressed by the Auckland executive of the Farmers’ Union in regard to the present means adopted by the Department of Agriculture to prevent the spread of the cattle tick infection. The discussion arose out of a complaint that tiekjnfested cattle had been observed in the saleyards at Westfield,-and the department’s reply thereto. In this it was stated that only one or two beasts had and ticks on them, a statement which the chairman of the Farmers’ Union (Air. C. C. Munro) flatly contradicted on the evidence of what he had seen himself. The degree of infestation is not, however, nearly so serious as the fact that the presence of tick-infested animals, which have been railborne to the saleyards, is admitted by the department. A further instance occurred this week in Auckland, when several head of prize cattle were refused admission to the Royal -Show on account of being tick-infested. Evidently some tightening up of the system of inspection is necessary. Whatever precautions may be taken subsequently, it is at the home of the infected stock. that precautions must be taken if they are to be efficacious, and these have evidently been lacking. . Cattle trucks, as is well known, travel from one part of the North Island to the other. The summer months are the months when tick propagation is at its worst, and it is the. time also when valuable stock is being railed from all parts to the various agricultural and pastoral shows. Whatever precautions the railway officials may take in the way of disinfecting trucks, is a very feeble substitute for the absolute prohibition of the removal of infected animals from a “tick” area unless and until they have been dipped and made free of the pest. The result of taking precautions at the end of the journey of such cattle, instead of before it is started, has been seen in North Taranaki. For years the settlers there were assured that the precautions being taken were sufficient to prevent the pest reaching TaranakL Unfortunately experience proved otherwise, and the belt of country from Te Kuiti to Waitara must be regarded as under suspicion, as tick has actually been found at the latter place. If owners of valuable stock have the slightest fear that the prize animals they are sending for competition may become tick-infested they will naturally decline to take the risk. This, in turn, will take from the agricultural shows much of the interest and value which they possess. It is to be hoped that the warnings received in Auckland will ensure such a tightening of inspection at the farms in the country which is admittedly tick infected, as will prevent the further spread of the pest.