STOCK EMBARGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 109, 11 May 1938, Page 13

STOCK EMBARGO

"MUST BE LIFTED"

IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY

"There is absolutely no doubt that Australia is miles ahead of us in regard to stock, particularly beef stock," said a Palmerston North medical man, Dr. E. C. Barnett, who is also interested in farming and live stock, on his return by ttje Wanganella today from a visit to Australia. With a friend Dr. Barnett went to Australia primarily to attend the Royal Show in Sydney. He said that he was definitely of the opinion that if the standard ai stock in this country was to be improved the embargo/on importations must be lifted. Dr. Barnett mentioned that it was hin't.d that if the New Zealand embargo was not lifted, New Zealand's Home market for mutton and beef might be affected. Three representatives of breed societies in the United Kingdom were among the visitors to Australia, and he had been told on good authority that there was a movement afoot in England by stock breeders'to bring about a reduction in New Zealand's quota of meat. Dr. Barnett expressed the view that the quality of the Australian stock was due to the freedom breeders had to import stock. The breeders there had been importing stock since 1927, under the regulations proposed for New Zealand. There had not been a case of foot-and-mouth disease, and in Australia the situation of the quarantine stations was vastly different from the New Zealand stations. In Australia they were on the mainland and anyone could walk on to them. The New Zealand quarantine stations, in his opinion, were far superior, and apart from that the quarantine period was longer. Speaking of the Royal Show, Dr. Barnett said that the grand parade was absolutely wonderful and worth going miles to see. Immense crowds had been attracted, and there were 185,000 people present on Easter Saturday. Dr. Barnett referred to the trying times being experienced _by farmers in New South Wales, particularly in the inland districts, because of the drought conditions. The stock had' to be fed to keep them alive, and as a result the price of oats and hay had soared, with a corresponding increase in farm costs. In Australia he thought the mistake was made of not conserving feed when plenty was available. The transference of stock to other parts was being carried, out a good deal, but the difficulty was to find another district to meet requirements. , , _ . ' Dr. Barnett .was surprised to find the air service between Sydney and Melbourne was not patronised as well as he had expected. Big Douglas airliners. beautiful machines, were flown on the scrvice and took two and a halt hours for the 500 miles journey. Dr. Barnett, who made the trip both ways, said that he had returned, with the impression that Australians were not so air-minded as most people believed. Dr. Barnett saw something of the hospitals in both Sydney and Melbourne. ' He said that, a number of intermediate hospitals were being built to cater for the middle-class people. Sydney and Melbourne were very fortunate in the number of Catholic hospitals they had. These, he Said, did wonderful work. In Sydney Dr. Barnett said that he had never before seen so many New Zealanders. ' Apart from visitors for the Rojtel Show, others who had come over purely on holiday ticnt, aiid former New Zealanders now resident in the Commonwealth, the numbers had been swelled by the arrival of the New Zealand returned soldiers, who had been given a splendid reception and who looked wonderfully well m the march past on Anzac Day.