FACIAL ECZEMA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1938, Page 3

FACIAL ECZEMA

NEED FOR CO-ORDINATION IN RESEARCH DISEASE A NATURAL MENACE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 17. The need for a greater measure of co-ordinated effort by Government research workers in the investigation of facial eczema and for the giving of financial assistance by the Government to those who have suffered heavy losses in the recent outbreak was stressed at a meeting of some 300 farmers attended by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, at Pukekohe. A vivid description of the havoc wrought by the disease in the Franklin county was given by Mr A. C. A. Sexton, M.P., who quoted cases of serious losses' of sheep, lambs and cows which he had personally investigated. Only the next lambing season would reveal the true extent of the damage. In support of his opinion he referred to a flock of 100 two-tooth ewes which had contracted the disease. When these were slaughtered it was found that not one was in lamb. “Facial eczema has developed from a relatively unimportant malady years ago until it has become a national menace,” said Mr C. H. Williams, Gisborne, president of the Poverty Bay Sheep-owners’ Federation. “A deplorable feature of the situation • is that though we have in some respects an excellent Department of Scientific and Industrial Research it is so grossly

understaffed that it cannot do its normal work, let alone grapple with a crisis of this magnitude.” There was need for research workers rather than veterinary officers, added Mr Williams. “The promises made by the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture, Mr A. H. Cockayne, to a mass meeting of farmers at Kereone that a complete survey of the situation in the Waikato would be made and that every available research worker would be made available has not been carried out in full,” said Mr F. H. Anderson, a member of the executive of the Waikato farmers’ committee set up in connection with the outbreak of eczema. The survey in the Waikato had been by no means complete and there had been insufficient co-ordination in the research campaign.

As many farmers had been crippled by losses suffered through facial eczema it was the duty of the Government to provide financial assistance toward the restocking of their farms, said Mr N. P. Adams, president of the Auckland branch of the Sheep-Owners’ Federation.

The meeting passed motions asking Mr Semple to urge on the Prime Minister the necessity of taking immediate steps to co-ordinate the activities of the various research and experimental stations in a complete investigation into the incidence of eczema and of setting up machinery to give financial assistance to those who lost stock in the epidemic. A further motion asked that the reports on stock diseases in New Zealand made recently by Dr Hucker, of America, and Dr Hammond, of England, be published and made available to farmers.

“I have a message from the Prime Minister that the matter of facial eczema has not yet been fully considered by Cabinet, but that it is conscious of the ramifications of the problem and the need for assistance, and, moreover, that assistance will certainly be given.” said Mr Semple. Although he knew nothing of facial eczema, as it was not in his department, he added that he would be pleased to present the motions passed by the meeting to Mr Savage. The great problem before both the Government and the people was to discover the cause of the disease, and if the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was understaffed he could promise that the Government would do everything in its power to remedy the deficiency.