FACIAL ECZEMA OUTBREAK

Southland Times, Issue 23537, 17 June 1938, Page 6

FACIAL ECZEMA OUTBREAK

Investigation To Be

Made

SUM OF £lO,OOO GIVEN BY GOVERNMENT

(Special to The Times)

AUCKLAND, June 16. 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 (the Hon. W. Lee Martin) when speaking at the opening of a new plant at the East Tamaki Co-operative Dairy Company’s factory. He said he was told that the cost of the epidemic was about £1,000,000. Facial eczema had occurred 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 because 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. 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 that £lO,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. The work must be continued and the board had agreed to find £4OOO if a similar amount was granted by the Government. This > ''tion 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.