INSPECTION OF CATTLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19488, 18 November 1926, Page 11

INSPECTION OF CATTLE.

PROTESTS FROM FARRgEHS. THE SYSTEM- OF INSPECTION, EVIDENCE OF SLACKNESS, * The present system Of stock Inspection to prevent the spread oi tide infection was described as a farce by speakers at the monthly meeting of the Auckland executive of the Farmers' Union last evening. Referring to a letter from the superintendent of the livestock division of the Department of Agriculture, who denied that cattle at the Weatfield ealeyarda at a recent sale were tick-infested to any extent, the chairman, Mr. C. C. Monro, said he had no hesitation in saying the details in the letter were not true. He had seen badly infected cattle in the yards, and the letter was quite incorrect in saying that only one or two beasts had a few ticks on them. There was an obvious loophole somewhere, whon such cattle were allowed to bo railed to Auckland from the North. They were sometimes kept in the district for days before being offered for sale, and if not disposed of were sent back to their own pastures. The fault was at the other end, and it was possible some owners were trying to evade the regulations. Mr. Lee Martin said there was undoubted evidence of slackness on someone's part. This was obvious from the fact that 18 head of prize catthj were refused admittance to the Royal Show on Tuesday. The Chairman: Therp is slackness somewhere, and that is all there is about it. W' en you see cattle standing in the Westfield yards with their ears full of ticks, what must be the state of the trucks out of which they come? Mr. A. Harding hoped the director of agriculture would see there was Co recurrence of infested stock being railed to Auckland from the North. It should bo made clear they were not satisfied. It was decided to leave the framing of a reply to the secretary, who was also instructed to forward the report in Wednesday's Hebaij) to the department.

PRECAUTIONS BY RAILWAYS. A SUGGESTION REPUDIATED. Tlio Suggestion by tho owner, of a group of Jersey , cattle, which were excluded from the show owing to the discovery of tick upon them, that hf.s cows picked up the pest in a railway truck was emphatically repudiated yesterday by railway officials. They stated that special precautions had been taken for the protection of all show stock* the waggons provided having been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. They would not question tha exhibitor's statement thai.-his stock were clean when they left his farm, but, since they came from a proclaimed area, it was not unlikely that, ticks had been present among the bedding placed by the owner of tho - stock in the waggoS when the cattle were shipped. . CAUSED. SOCIETY ASKED 1 TO INVESTIGATE. At the half-yearly general meeting of the New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Association, held in Auckland on Tuesday, members referred to the inconvenienca caused to exhibitors at the Royal Show through the inspection of the talmids for tick. It was stated that some cattle had been inspected three times before being allowea to enter the show ring, A resolution was carried requesting the Royal Show Society to investigate the matter. ' '