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Waikato Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1072, 14 October 1901, Page 2

The papf-r read by Stock Inspector Ross the meeting of the Executive of the Waikato Farmers’ C 1 u 1 1 held here a day or two ago, threw a goad deal of light on tire sul j-et of anthrax, which has caused some alarm amongst Waikato farmers during the past few year a. The evidence a Iduccd by Mr Rosa shows conclusively that the outbreaks in (itch case were duo to imported hones. The dise .se is t no to l;e dreaded, hut so long as the Government are prepared to allow the sterilisation of imported hones to he conducted on t In; present tackiui'iM'J I lines, >ve must he prepare 1 to Ireai' of similar outhioaks from time to time in various pats of the colony. Raw hones are .-npi 0.-rd to he sterilised on their arrival in the colony, while those in the form of I.m nodii.it have to he ; eeourpaui. il by n tar lillc rtc from the slipping part. En(|iiiiins elicit tire fact mat the process is not ly any means as thorough a; if should be, Xu lire case of the raw article brought from an an I lira* stticken country thy are slerilisitl under pressur u at a temperature of -.j!) deg. Ruhr. ; hut as it is the custom lu submit them to the prove.s jutt as they arrive, in bags, il is only fair to assume that in many n bu the beat never reaches the centre

of the sack, and I lie germs which may he there remain dangerous, and the whole thing is somewhat of the nature of a farce. Then, as to the certificate which accompanies the manufactured article, it may he worth something, hut probably is not worth the paper it is written on. It is authoritatively stated that large quantities of honedust have been brought Loir. New Souti) Wales, where aiuhrax is life, acc inpau’ed hy the necessary document : hut as a matter of fact a proper sterilising plant does not exist there, and the document is in reality a bogus one. It seems incredible that the Department of Agi{Culture, knowing as it undoubtedly does, that such is the case does not take some steps to safe-guard the interests of the fanners of the colony As far as the Tamaheic nulbreik is concerned, and the damage Inc district is liktny to sustain frnmjpublicity there is no cause for al mn. The disc ire is not con taginus and so long as the aff oted area is fenced off, cattle can graze round Ihe surrounding land with impunity, and as bones are the ou’y medium by which the disease can he transferred from one district to another, and no animal canlive for more than 3G ho irs ift.-r contracting it, the loss to the district is purely imaginary. I; is pleasing to- find that the authorities, although they have been somewhat lethargic about the matter, intend to set to work in earnest to stamp out the disease, and that those who have suffered losses will most probably ic compensated. The action the Farmers’ Club proposes to take is in the light direction, and farmers should insist that shipments should b? thoroughly disinfected before being placed upon the market. Soltin interesting mailer will he font d on our four.h page. The No. 1 Coy W.M.R were inspected and put through some useful work on SaTmlay afternoon by Lieu-tciunt-Colc-nel 1) ivies. To-diy th pick of the company are engaged in a shooting competition with the Paeroa representatives. A Press Association telegram fit m Napier states that private information has been received from Home by cable stating that A, E. Trot has been engaged to act as coach to the Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association, and he is now on his way out by the Waiwcra. The Sporting writer in the Auckland Star says that the two vtcrau sportsmen, Major George and Mr Donald McKinnon, arc about to retire from the racing arena, and wi I offer their blood stock for sale at Wapiti on January 4th, 1902. The Cambridge polo players had a good came on Saturday, when Messrs N. Banks, Potts, Taylor, and Dingles opposed Messrs Hannon, Rieluudson, Buckiaivl and S Banks. Several scores were made before the full teams were in play, but after that time neither tide succeeded in getting the ball between the posts. A Southern fanner tells us that he. makes it a rule to have a piddock of Italian lyegrass to put his ewes into in August, and never has any deaths. He advised a neighbour who was complaining of losses to adopt this system, and the advice Icing received clouhtinply to’cl him that as the ewes were being taken off the paddock that diy he, the nei hhnur, could turn his in ami try the remedy. Thu off r was accepted, with the result that deaths at once ceased. Other farmeis should t ke the hint.

Commenting on and airing the scandal of the inefficiency of many of tiie Ye on 10 ury sent to South Africa, which was referred to in a report Ivy Lo d Kitchener, in which he said many of them could nether ride nor shoot, the St. James Gazette says:—‘Many of ihosc Yiomanry uic street loafers, who are physically unfit for service. Some of them have heart disease ; some have varicose veins; some are cripples, and some are nearly blind. Go the Home authorities realise this ? Are they going to punish officers who allow disease- idden rapscallions to join the army?’

A Chicago telegram in the Daily Mail says: —Mr Harvey Scott, of Fair ha n It, Minnesota, who ptihl’cly • iiriml hack notes amounting !o £4OO last winter, has. just died, at the age of 82. In ordir to prevent his three heirs, whom he disliked, from gitting any more of his property than he could help, his will directs that £SOOO in bank notes shall ho burned and leaves a like sum in stock to his heirs. The executor thinks that if ha hums the money he will Le guilty of arson, just as if he destroyed a house or other property, and he refuse i to take the rbk of going to prison. The heirs will contest (he will, alleging insanity. An accident of a rather serious nature occurred just piior to the woodchopping contest at the Hawke’s ]> iy Agricultural Show on Friday. One ol the entrant-, a man named Warwick West, was trimming a tree preparatory to taking part in the competHon, when his axe slipped, and cut his instep very setiously, necessitating his removal to the hospital. He is likely to he incapacitated lor some time, even should he ever regain the use of In’s foot, which w>s nearly severed from the leg. A collection was taken up on his behalf, and a considerable amount subscribed on (he ground. Fortunately the society had taken the precaution to take out an accident insurance po'icy for the two days, so that West will heneli' by the forethought of the society’s executive.

The volunteer news contributor to Ihe Napier Daily Telegraph strongly advises that the hands on the new rifles issued lo New Zealand Forces should he kept a bit loose ; otherwise when the barrel gets heated and expands (when shouting), the bands, if they are tight, will prevent that particular part of the barrel from expanding, and eventually the bullets "fill tet stripped, leaving part of the nickel in Hie barrel and spoiling it f.w good shooting The same writer says : 1 H is a practice among, volunteers when tluy get t-hc-ir pull-through jammed in the band to fire it out. This is a very serious thing to do, for if the rug or pull-through is near the muzzle the barrel is liable to explode ; in fact, shipping of the bullet, or dirt in the barrel near the muzzle, will sometimes cruse it to explode.