STOCK DISEASES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23528, 17 June 1938, Page 6

STOCK DISEASES

INVESTIGATION OF CAUSES NO SHELVING OF WORK HUGE LOSS LAST AUTUMN (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, June 18. The steps being taken by the Government to investigate the causes of facial eczema, which caused extensive losses of farm stock during the autumn, were detailed by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr W. Lee Martin) when speaking at the opening of new plant at the East Tamaki Co-operative Dairy Company’s factory. He said he was told that the cost of the epidemic was in the vicinity of £1,000,000. Facial eczema had been experienced in the Dominion for the last 40 years, the Minister stated, and he had been informed by his officers that the losses in 1935 were probably as great as this year. That so little had been heard about it on the previous occasion was probably due to the fact that it was confined to sheep, whereas in 1938 it had made inroads into dairy herds. All through the years, as soon as an epidemic waned, they had not seemed to trouble any more about the matter until a new outbreak occurred, the Minister continued. There was a better way of meeting the position and the department had selected special officers for investigating the disease and,- with the assistance of the farming community, a committee of producers was elected to work in co-operation with the experts. Last Friday he had informed the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) that £ 10,000 was needed to make a start with the work, and this was granted willingly. In the investigation of mammitis the Dairy Board had given very full co-operation following Dr Hucker s visit. The work must be continued, and the board had agreed to find £4OOO, if a similar amount were granted by the Government. This action was taken and £BOOO would be spent during the coming season in an effort to improve the position. “ I have always sought the assistance of the farmers, and there is not an appointment that has been made or a major undertaking entered into without my consulting them, Mr Lee Martin added.

NOT “NOSEY PARKERS ” AGRICULTURAL OFFICERS APPEAL FOR CO-OPERATION (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, June 16. A desire that the farmers themselves should, as practical men, cooperate as far as possible with the officers of the Department of Agriculture was expressed by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr W. Lee Martin), speaking at the opening of the new plant at the factory of the East Tamaki Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd. He said that for many years officers of the department had been looked upon as inspectors and as a kind of Nosey Parkers.” “On my travels I am surprised to find that there are so many farmers who do not realise the extent to which the department is influencing the primary production or the Dominion,” the Minister said. “ It is not a spectacular department, but it is playing a very important part in the country’s development. The voting of £753,000 to the department last year was the highest amount ever voted m the history of agriculture in New Zealand, and the whole of this sum is being spent in a hundred and one ways for the purpose of rendering service. The experts who were seeking solutions to farming problems could not, however, achieve success without the assistance and co-operation of those who were engaged m primary production, the Minister continued. For many years the department’s men were looked upon as inspectors and a kind of Nosey Parkers,” but they were flow changing all that, and they were pointing out that the officers were there as instructors. He was trying to impress upon every representative oi the department not to do those things which would irritate the farmer, but to make himself a wecome guest because of the instruction he could give.