THE REMOUNT SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 24003, 30 September 1941, Page 10

THE REMOUNT SCHEME

GOOD FOALING AVERAGE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 29. The headway being made under the Government remount scheme, in spite of the handicap of petrol restrictions and the consequent cost of the transport of stallions, was commented on to-dav by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry. During the current season 16 stallions, he said, had been approved for subsidy, and negotiations for a number of others were proceeding. Although some districts had evidently experienced difficulty in securing suittable stallions, the officers responsible for the administration of the regulations had reported to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Barclay, that it was expected that the total number of stallions' would not bo fewer than last year. Mr Parry said that an assurance had been given by the Racing Conference that funds would be available for the 1941-42 season to meet the moneys paid as subsidies over and above the amounts provided by the Act. The scheme, which had been splendidly worked by the Department of Agriculture and the Racing Conference, the Minister added, had been instrumental in stopping the rapid decrease in the number of horses in the Dominion. The working horse was always, and was to-day in particular, a valuable animal. The official reports, the Minister said, showed that during the 1939-40 breeding season 39 stallions were subsidised in the various remount districts, and 790 foals had resulted. _ The foaling averaged 59 per cent., which was a distinct improvement on the first year’s return. The amount of the subsidy paid in the 1939-40 season was £5,123, of which £1,123 was provided by the Racing Conference. In the 1940-41 season 40 stallions were subsidised, arid the Racing Conference provided £l,llß.