STUD STOCK

Southland Times, Issue 20516, 19 June 1928, Page 7

STUD STOCK

IMPORT REGULATIONS REMOVAL OF EMBARGO PROPOSED CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PERTURBED (Per United Press Association.) Dunedin, June 18. At to-night’s meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce executive, Mr 8. P. Cameron drew attention to the fact that the Government was considering a proposal to remove the embargo on the importation of stud animals from countries where the foot and mouth disease was prevalent. He said he thought that a telegram should be despatched to the Minister of Agriculture, asking him to refrain from removing the embargo at present or at any rate urging him to give very serious consideration to the matter. The chairman (Mr J. Taylor) said that his firm had received a letter from Mr Snowball, district superintendent, on the matter as follows: The position in regard to foot and mouth disease has taken on a more serious aspect within the last month or two. In view of this it is necessary to take all precautions to prevent its introduction into the Dominion and in future regulations regarding hay, straw and chaff packing are to be strictly enforced. It i$ noted that odd consignments of goods from the Continent are still arriving with hay, straw and chaff packing and as the introduction of similar packing is absolutely prohibited, it will be necessary to enforce the regulations in regard to allowing such goods to be landed. Any importer of goods which arrive contrary to regulations will be liable to be dealt with in accordance with provisions of the regulations. The chairman said the letter showed the intention of the Department in regard to hay, straw and chaff packing and yet it waa proposing to allow animals in. Mr Cameron said that the Farmers’ Union had received a telegram from the Hon. O. J. Hawken stating that full consideration would be given the matter before the embargo was removed. It was decided to send a telegram to the Minister of Agriculture on the lines suggest-

Mr Cameron added that a shipment of live stock was made recently from Britain to South Africa and on the voyage foot and mouth disease developed notwithstanding that the animals had been put through quarantine and the whole shipment was dumped overboard.