CURRENT TOPICS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LV, Issue 90, 15 June 1925, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

INFORMATION WANTED. Local farmers are beginning to ask questions as to what the Government is doing in regard to contagious abortion, mammitis vaginitis and suchlike stock diseases. Representations have been made on the subject and promises, that the Department will investigate these troubles with a view to finding remedies, have been made but no further information has been received-. Just now two firms are operating in Taranaki, and are inoculating herds against certain of the diseases. It is very probable, as one farmer pointed out in discussing the matter, that the vaccine being used by both of these firms is good, ; and excellent results may follow the .use of it, but the farmers are completely in the dark as to the opinion held by the Department of Agriculture in regard to the treatment that should be adopted. This man considered that the Department had so far failed to make any definite attempt to deal with these diseases

which were causing worry and / expense to farmers. If measures to deal with the position are not taken there is danger that the diseases will spread to such an extent that the stamping of them out will be a hard if not an impossible task. When black-leg made its appearance, very drastic steps were taken to combat it, with the result that its spread was checked. These diseases are very much worse than black-leg and if allowed to spread must ultimately have a most disastrous effect on New Zealand’s stable industry. Under the circumstances the apathy or apparent apathy of the Department is hard to understand. One would think that had it the interests of the primary producers at heart, the Department would, as soon as such serious menanees to the dairying industry made their appearance, have instituted .lavatory, .tests a view to making all possible information available to the farmer. If anything has been done the secret has been well kept and instead of letting it be known what research work had been undertaken and the conclusions | arrived at as a result thereof, representations and inquiries have been met with either a stony silence or the usual beloved phrase “the matter is under consideration.” MOTOR OFFENCES. Magisterial inconsistency in dealing with drunken motorists is complained of witli reason by tne president of tne Otago Motor (JJuu in relation to the case of a Lawrence offender wffo was lined +;! by J ustices of the Peace, and who also had his name suppressed. Mr Ansell, who had done as much as any man in the southern part of INew Zealand in connection with motoring organisation, complains that this is only “looting the public.” However, says tne Christchurch “Star,” anomalies of this description occur wherever Justices of the Peace sit on the Dench, and in Christchurch the most notable example of this fact is of quite recent memory. A young man, who, the police admitted, had merely sat in a motor-car, under asense of mistaken kindness towards the owner, with the object of shielding him from prosecution for leaving his car unattended, was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment, but a day or two later, a lad of about the same age, who admitted taking a motor-car and ‘‘converting it to his own use,” in the course of which he damaged it to the exteut of about £2O, escaped with a hue, and had his name suppressed. Such anomalies in the administration of justice are occurring all over New Zealand, and they threaten to undermine the efforts of the motoring organisations and other bodies, which are endeavouring to help the authorities in the solution of very troublesome problems.