Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1930. IMPORTATION OF STOCK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 260, 16 August 1930, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1930. IMPORTATION OF STOCK.

The farming community generally will support the protest made by the Mid-Canterbury Executive of the FarmersUnion against any slackening of the restrictions governing the importation of live stock from countries in which foot and mouth disease has been found. It can be admitted that the restrictions are irksome to stockbreeders in the Dominion, and that they act prejudically against the important duty of improving the country's flocks and herds. But these drawbacks are insignificant in comparison, with the disastrous damage that would result from the introduction of foot and mouth disease. It is a case in which prevention is better than cure; whatever evil may arise from restrictions must be borne lest worse befall us. An instance of the risks that may be taken is afforded by events of some two years ago. Conditions in Britain then appeared to justify relaxation of the absolute prohibition and an official announcement was made that importation of stud stock would be permitted under strict conditions. Within a fortnight, advice was received of a fresh outbreak in England and the embargo was maintained. Efforts to facilitate the export of stock from Britain have been made by the Empire Marketing Board, which has established a quarantine station at London, under the management of the Royal Agricultural bocietv. New Zealand has frequently been invited to take advantage of this system, but the Dominion is not alone in hesitation to risk even the "very little chance of infection,' —to quote one of the party of British fanners who on their visit to these shores a while ago deemed it advisable, at a conference in Wellington, to do no more than enter a mild protest against the maintenance of the embargo against the importation of cattle, sheep and pigs from Great Britain. According to a report by the Marketing Board the only countries that are using the London quarantine station are Australia, the several divisions of South Africa, Trinidad, the Irish Free State and Cyprus, to none of which is the risk of infection so grave as to New Zealand, while from April 4, 1928, the date of the opening of the station, to Mav 31, 1929, only 596 head of cattle, sheep, pigs and goats were passed through it for export. Certainly the disease has been greatly reduced in Britain as a result of drastic methods of slaughter and isolation, but there are still occasional outbreaks. Despite diligent research there is no undoubted evidence in explanation of the recurrence of the disease, or; of the positive identity of the agency of its transmission. Until the secrets of its causation have been revealed, and more reliable means devised to prevent its introduction, the Dominion must steadfastly preserve its immunity, without regard to cost or inconvenience. As the Lauriston branch of the Farmers' Union expresses v it, the existence of New Zealand 1 as a pastoral country would be at stake were the disease allowed to enter.