I.—]

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is not able to resist the inroads of bacilli that are supposed to be always in the air : in such cases the germs may enter the system during either ingestion or inspiration, and are there developed. A cow before calving is sometimes strong and healthy, but after calving poor and weakly ; and in the latter state the microbe produces its effects with much greater rapidity. It is certainly unwise to eat the meat of animals that have been affected with tuberculosis unless it has been thoroughly cooked, which is rarely the case. It is difficult to detect the disease in the earlier stages of its development in animals, but in later stages its detection is comparatively easy. The symptoms are to be looked for in connection with the lungs, intestines, glands, or serous-mucous membranes. Sometimes the animal has a dry cough, or a discharge of mucus at the nose or mouth. An instance of its intestinal manifestation is seen in the condition of what is commonly called an "unthrifty" calf —a calf that is always sneezing. The most prevalent symptoms are those which accompany the condition which laymen speak of as a "wasting away." The disease, if present in the lungs, may be detected also by auscultating and percussing the chest; but that is generally a difficult matter, and a great many cases altogether escape detection by ordinary laymen. I look upon the disease as being really a serious thing for the colony; for the importation of fresh blood is small, and, unless the disease is efficiently dealt with, its spread is sure to tell in time on the cattle of the whole colony. Ido not think that in-breeding would help much in propagating the disease—that is, in causing its spread amongst the progeny, provided the parent animals were thoroughly healthy. It is, however, highly desirable that all bulls that are tainted, or suspected of being tainted, should be kept from cows—that they should be prevented from becoming sires. I have examined the Bill before the Committee, and J think it supplies sufficient means for dealing with diseased cattle. Cancer and tuberculosis are not the same thing. Tuberculosis largely affects the lungs, but it is not identical with pleuro-pneumonia—the two things are entirely different. 56. By Mr. Dodson.] It is difficult to detect the first symptoms of tuberculosis, and in cases where it is suspected; but where there are no distinct manifestations it is well to inquire into the past history of the animal—its near relations and its own antecedent conditions. Yet the matter is not so very difficult for those who are closely connected with the herd. 57. By Mr. Kerr.] I know how cattle look when they are partly starved, and the state into which calves get when they receive too much hot milk. I know what is meant by " asthmatical," when applied to cattle ; but tuberculosis is entirely different from the two first-mentioned conditions. A change of diet will often do away with diarrhcea. It is quite possible to tell the difference between the livers of such animals and those of animals suffering from tuberculosis. 58. Mr Kerr.] Well, I can say that in all my fifty years' experience I have not seen ten cases of the disease you speak of. Are you quite sure that from 4to 7 per cent, of the cattle killed for the Wellington market suffer from tuberculosis ? —Quite sure. Mr Kerr : I do not think there is 1 per cent, in New Zealand, let alone Wellington. 59. By Hon. Captain Morris.] I think it would be'dangerous for children to drink milk taken from iirfected cows, more especially if the children were in a weak state of health from any cause. In experimenting with rabbits and guinea-pigs, I have given them milk from infected cows, and inoculated them, and in all cases the rabbits died within three months from acute tuberculosis. I do not think that dairies are inspected by the Stock Department. Corporations have the power, but I do not think they exercise it. 60. By Mr. J. McKenzie.] I have been three years in New Zealand, and have had experience in the Old Country and in Australia ; I have seen pleuro-pneumonia there. The percentage mentioned by me has not come actually under my personal observation, but I came to that conclusion by examining the records of examinations made as to the state of various slaughter-yards, and the results obtained from analyses of lungs and entrails there, and by comparing those results with my own personal knowledge. One can detect the presence of the disease more quickly by means of examination after killing an animal than by means of observations made while the animal is alive. Still, if a herd of cattle is well looked after by an intelligent man, such a man may detect the presence of the disease even more quickly than even a professional man who is unacquainted with the history of the herd. It is sometimes the case that cattle suffering from tuberculosis put on fat during the earlier stages of the disease. This is explained by the fact that, in certain conditions, tuberculosis would cause an extra secretiorf of the gastric juice. This, however, does not go on for long, and the affected animal soon begins to fall away. Some men cannot differentiate tuberculosis from pleuro-pneumonia, and inoculation with the matter of the former in mistake for the virus of pleuro-pneumonia would doubtless in many instances cause tuberculosis. 61. By Mr. Laivry.] Cattle seen at Wellington are usually not so far advanced in the disease as to make the disease easy of detection during their lifetime. The disease can sometimes be suspected by the aspect of the eye, and conformation generally. Experienced butchers sometimes pick out an apparently healthy beast, and are able to say from observation that it is affected with the disease. It is difficult to deal with such cattle ; but the new Bill gives power to compel their destruction, and that will go a certain length in checking the spread of the disease. Hon. the Chairman : In fact, in this connection, the object of the Act is to diminish the disease by prohibiting people from dealing in beasts that are affected, and by compelling the destruction and burial of such animals. ' The Hon. the. Minister of Lands, who had to leave in order to keep an appointment, said: The Bill before the Committee had arisen from cases that had been matters of public scandal—cases at Invercargill slaughter-yards, and in connection with Wellington dairies. At present there was no power of dealing with cattle affected in the way mentioned, and the present Bill provided machinery for dealing with specific cases. As to the rate of 2d., it was thought fair enough to put that on, inasmuch as the sheepowners paid at present £16,000 a year towards the maintenance of the Stock Department; and as cattleowners were as much interested in keeping down the rabbits as other stockowners, the proposed tax was thought to be a fair one. As a matter of detail, however, it