LIVE STOCK EMBARGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22824, 7 March 1936, Page 14

LIVE STOCK EMBARGO

CASE FOR ITS REMOVAL FEARS OF DETERIORATION (Pes United Piiess Association) WELLINGTON, March 6. The argument that there was no case for the embargo on the importation of live stock from Britain was advanced by Colonel H. A. Reid, formerly in charge of the Wallaceville Veterinary Laboratory, when addressing the Makara-Hutt Valley brancli of the New Zealand Farmers' Union to-day. " My own important farming interests in New Zealand would restrain me from advocating its removal had I the least fear of the introduction of the disease, he said, "but I have very grave fears for the future prosperity of the country if it is allowed to go on, based not only upon fears regarding the deterioration of our stock, and hence our produce, but also upon our commercial relations with Great Britain, which the embargo threatens." Mr W. J. Poison (president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union) said he entirely agreed that the embargo on stock was a mistake and should be removed at the earliest opportunity.

Astonishment at the suspicions with which New Zealanders treat foot-and-mouth disease in the importation of stock from Great Britain into the Dominion was expressed by Mr L. Maclean, of Rochester, Kent, at New Plymouth a few days ago. Mr Maclean is not interested in pedigree animals, and is engaged in fattening stock. He is a member of the touring Empire primary producers' party. The germs of the disease could not live for more than four or five days, declared Mr Maclean, and this was covered by a six days' quarantine of stock entering Britain. By this time any animal which had come into contact with the disease would show symptoms, a fact which seemed to make the elaborate precautions taken in admitting .stock into New Zealand from England futile. He said that the New Zealand fear appeared a little exaggerated.