THE PROHIBITION OF CATTLE IMPORTATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 4983, 7 February 1877, Page 3

THE PROHIBITION OF CATTLE IMPORTATION.

(Australasian.) By telegram wo learn that " the Government of Now South Woles intend to introduce a Bill to amend the Importation of Stock Aot.” This course is doubtless due to the action of the Agricultural Society of Now South Wales, for at the Council meeting of that organisation on the 10th inst. a deputation was appointed to wait upon the Minister of Lands “ to suggest the removal of the prohibition now existing with regord to the importation of stock, subject, however, to such regulations and restrictions in regard to inspection and quarantine as may be deemed necessary.” “ The society,” stated the secretary, " had sent a circular to the country societies, and had received as many as 18 replies agreeing with the steps proposed to be taken.” He also intimated that the Chief Inspector of Stock “appeared to be favourably inclined to recommend to the Go l eminent some modification of the law, so that stock might be admitted under certain quarantine restrictions.” It would interest a great many onlookers to discover the springs of this new-born zeal in tho cause of free in - portation of cattle from the antipodes. It was

by none of the few speakers alleged that the cattle of New South Wales were deteriorating for want of imported blood, nor was any reason for the proposed change of action even hinted at, unless it be in the following statement by the Secretary ;—“By the correspondence received last mail the New South Wales society learned that the state of Vermont had presented them with a pure bred ram and pure bred ewes, which were now on their way to Sydney; but, in consequence of the prohibitory law in New South Wales the sheep would, immediately on arrival here, have to be killed or sent away.” Even the loss of a valuable ram and owes oould, in the opinion of many, be better sustained than the introduction of another contagious disease to the herds of Australia. But surely a chief inspector 'of stock who can admit a Brahmin bull in contravention of the law could find an excuse for admitting also, “under strict quarantine regulations,” so valuable a present as these Vermont merinoes. A reversal of the principles which have characterised the stock legislation of these colonies for several years past was certainly not necessitated by the incident in point. We must go farther afield to find a cause for the action, and we need go no farther than New Zealand. That Colony, it will be remembered, declined to join the Australian ones; in prohibiting the importation of stock from abroad. Up to 1872 inclusive its imports of cattle and sheep from England had been on quite a trivial scale, the value varied from £llOO to £ISOO a year; but for 1873, the year of the conference at Sydney, when joint action was agreed on by the rest of the colonies, the return of imports showed a value of £4757, In 1874, the rise had assumed greatly increased proportions; no less than 32 head of cattle and 703 sheep were imported, of the value of £27,200; and in 1875 the number of cattle amounted to 37 and of sheep to 872, of the value of £29,305. As the imports have been continued on much the same scale throughout the year just ended, New Zealand must now possess a very considerable stock of shorthorns—more, probably, than the herdsmen of that colony need. It is a fact that during the last two years, if not previously, cattle whose proposed ultimate destination was Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales, have been sent to New Zealand. This we have learnt not only from statements made on the arrival of the stock in New Zealand, but from reports of sales in English papers, accompanied in one instance (the Agricultural Gazette) by a very angry but exceedingly ignorant comment on the action of South Australia. It is well known to those behind the scones that cattle intended for these colonies were sent to New Zealand in time, as it was thought, for the re-opening of our ports after the expiration of the first close period. Some of these cattle have since changed hands, but their new owners are equally as desirous as their previous ones of getting them into Australia. The New Zealand Government therefore (of coarse, on the recommendation of a committee) brought in a Bill, which was passed on Oct. SO, 1876, closing the ports of that colony against European stock for a period of two years, from April 15, 1877. This announcement was to be published in the London Times , so that buyers at home would have about three months’ notice. The act, be it noted, is revocable by the Governor in Council at will, or its operation may be extended by a similar exercise of power. The next step doubtless will be to ask the Australian colonies to admit stock from New Zealand, the ports of that colony being no longer open to Europe. New South Wales, however, with suspicious haste has moved to meet New Zealand half way. The proceedings of both colonies are the reverse of creditable, but what term shall we apply to the proceedings at the meeting on Jan. 10 of the council of the New South Wales Agricultural Society, or by what name shall those be stigmatised who put into the Governor’s lips the oft-repeated statement: —“Victoria accepted stock from New Zealand, and as there was no quarantine between us and Victoria we had left a gap unguarded, and were worse off than if we had no cordon round any of the colonies, and had inspection and quarantine.” As a matter of fact not a single head of cattle has been admitted into Victoria from New Zealand or from any other port in contravention of the Statute. The “ explanation ” of Dr Jenkins, viz., that “that was the case at one time, but in consequence of remonstrances from New South Wales, Victoria refused to receive stock from New Zealand, and closed their ports against the importation,” was therefore equally far from the truth. Then the Governor was prompted to say that owing to the briefness of the periods of incubation and development of foot-and-mouth disease, the voyage of three months from England constituted a safe quarantine; thus ignoring the fact of ship after ship having taken to Sydney cattle which either at the time of their arrival or subsequently were affected with the disease, and overlooking altogether Victorian experiences with the cattle imported by Mr W. M'Oullooh. It is only due to Dr Jenkins to quote his remark that “We had had foot-and-mouth disease in the colony, notwithstanding the long voyage from England.” With reference to the identity of the disease with the foot-and-mouth as prevalent in England, there is not, nor ever was, the slightest reason for doubt. Colonists recently from home recognised the disease at a glance. That the owners of the affected cattle were unwilling to admit the implication was hardly surprising, seeing how closely their monetary interests were bound up in the health of their valuable stock. And,'finally, a word in reference to the expediency of opening the ports. Is it possible that a body of men largely interested in the principal rural industry of these colonies can so quickly forget and ignore the losses the country has sustained from pleuro and from scab P At the conference at Sydney the estimated loss by pleuro was no less than eight millions sterling, and an addition of two millions may rightly be added thereto for the three years since elapsed. And is it supposed that foot-and-mouth disease would be either less insidious or less costly ? Would it not rather be more certainly destructive and absolutely ruinous to herds which, on account of their wildness, cannot be handled P A moment’s thought should convince any stockowner that his only safety lies in continuing to prohibit the importation of stock. Additions, moreover, are not required on any account. We have acclimatised cattle, which, like our sheep, arc far superior, from any point of view, to those we can import. Let our breeders lay these facts to heart, and continue to exclude disease. At no distant time their healthy and naturally-bred stock will be in request to regenerate the enfeebled constitutions of the cattle of England and the continent of Europe!