STOCK DISEASE Farmers To Look Into Complaints

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31480, 21 September 1967, Page 12

STOCK DISEASE Farmers To Look Into Complaints

Reports that insufficient work was being done in treating cars coming into New Zealand against foot-and-mouth disease will be investigated by the meat and wool section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers. The section’s executive committee decided this at its meeting yesterday, and also decided to congratulate the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation on recent television programmer on the disease.

Mr W. N. Dunlop said the allegation of insufficient port safeguards against foot-and-mouth disease (reported in “The Press” yesterday) should be investigated. There had been similar cases before. If it was true it would be extremely serious. The chairman (Mr A. F. Wright) said he felt the person concerned in the case reported in “The Press” should have taken further action at the time. Criticism should have been made six months before, on receipt of the car. Woolclassers Investigation of the registration of woolclassers was favoured by the meeting. A remit that the Wool Board investigate the merit of the registration of classers and the identification at sales of lines classed by registered classers was put forward for the wool committee by Mr B. H. Palmer. The remit will be sent to the board. The wool committee was convinced that the area of the wool industry from the follicle to the factory required urgent improvement and modernisation, Mr Palmer said.

“As the trade of woolclassing is perhaps the vital facet in this area, the upgrading of prestige and prominence of classers, must be of advantage to the industry.” The aim of the remit was to improve the presentation of the New Zealand clip and to establish the confidence of manufacturers in the uniformity of New Zealandclassed types, the committee’s report said. Firms dealing in man-made fibres delivered goods true to type, yet the wool trade delivered variations. Uses Of Wool A remit asking that the Wool Board promote the use of wool upholstery, carpets,

and replacement carpets In cars will be sent to the board.

The executive committee discussed a remit from the Oxford branch that “steps be taken to ensure that carpets and replacement carpets for cars are made of pure virgin wool.”

He did not think the remit could be made to work, said Mr A. B. Byrch, and Mr R. E. Hiat said the remit was badly worded. The executive should ask the board to promote the use of wool upholstery. He moved this wording as an amendment. Mr Dunlop said the matter had been raised about two years ago and the car manufacturers had replied saying what materials they were using and why they were being used. He believed it was right to bring the subject forward again. Labelling Of Garments

Regulations on the labelling of garments will be investigated by the executive committee. More than 250 garments mislabelled as wool when they were in fact synthetic passed through one Wellington drycleaner each week, Mr Wright said. Presumably more' than one firm was mislabelling garments, said Mr E. W. Turrell. The matter arose during discussion on one mislabelled garment. After investigation the Wool Board had told the executive committee it seemed probable the mislabelling in this case was an honest mistake. Killing Capacity

With the decrease in economic returns a bigger kill of sheep could be expected at Canterbury freezing works in the coming season Mr Wright said.

In his view there could even be a record kill in the coming season. There had been a request for greater killing capacity in Canterbury, and as a result the freezing companies were asking for an extension of the daily kill by 6000 head. This would he discussed in the first week of October at a meeting between the companies and the unions. “We maintain that an increase is essential for orderly killing in the coming vear,” Mr Wright said. “We hope the unions will agree to an extra kill of 6000 a day iat Canterbury works.”