BOBBY CALVES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 163, 22 June 1936, Page 5

BOBBY CALVES

NEW REGULATIONS DEPARTMENT OF Designed To Abolish Evils Of Traffic. VALUE OF INDUSTRY. fSupplied by the Department of Agriculture.) Wellington, To-day. Since the inception cf the toneless veal trade certain objectionable features .connected with i.t have been the cause of concern and complaint. The complaints have been almost wholly associated with the conditions connected with the sale and exposure of the calves at farms, and in their transport Endeavours have been made in the past to remove spmo of the objectionable features, but without much success. Recently the Hon. Minister cf j Agriculture called a conference j of tlhe principal operators in this trade when, with Departmental officers, he had a full- discussion on the question of the 1 methods in > vogue in connection with the collection of the calves from farms and their tansport to the wonks. Consequent on this discussion, it has been decided to bring down regulations embodying requirements whiclh must be complied with by farmers offering calves for. sale and ;by carriers trans- j porting the calves to the works. j

to all The regulations which nave been Gazetted and are now in force refer to all,calves the live weight of which is less than 1001 b., sold or intended for sale for the purpose of being slaughtered and provide:— (1). That no person whether as principal or agent shall sell or offer for sale any calf the subject of these regulations unless such calf has been properly and sufficiently fed daily from births and has been so fed not earlier than four hours before the time of its actual removal from his premises in pursuance of a sale or contract or intended sale or contract kof salov Th& act of placing any calf to which*, these regulations apply at or adjacent to any entrance to his '■land* br. premises or other customary place (whether oh his own land or premised or not) at which calves are exposed for sale shall be deemed to be an ofCer to'sell such calf. In any propeedings • brought against any per son lor failing properly and sufficiently'to feed any calf to which : these regulations apply the burden of . proof that such calf has been fed 23 required by these regulations shall ba on the farmer, . (2). That no person, whether as principal or agent, shall purcnaso, drive or convey any. calf to which these regulations apply which appears lo be unfit by reason of'weak- " ness or immaturity to be driven or conveyed to the place at which it is intended to be slaughtered. Proceedings for any offence against these regulations may be instituted by any Constable or any Inspector r ppointed under the Stock Act of the Slaughtering and Inspection Act or by any person acting on behalf of any society established for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Every person who commits a breach of these regulations shall be liable to a fine of £5. In addition to these requirements the Departmental officers engaged in meat inspection are being instructed to raise the standard of inspection in so far as the dressed weight of the calf is concerned, and it is believed tha;t this! action will go to assist in improving the condition of the calves supplied.

Poorly Nourished Calves.

It being also recognised that th« intensive collection of calves lias been a contributing factor in poorly irourii-hed calves being transported to tne works for slaughter, this asped of 4he matter has- also- been given consideration, and arrangements : have'been come to by the companies concerned to limit the overlapping oi collections that has taken place in the past, and to arrange a schedule of collecting days for the respective districts from which calves are obtained. The effect of this will also be in the direction of bringing about tf air immediate improvement in the clats of calves picked up, as there is no the indiscriminate, competitive system of collection pertaining iif the past was a factor 'which seriously contributed to the objecting ' which have been asabciated with thit! trade. AH interests concerned have willingly cooperated in the matter of bringing about the improvement in the bobby calf trade, and it is confidently anticipated that as a result of the conditions which have now ceen brought down the trade will bo largely freed from the accusations o" cruelty which have been associated with it in the past. It is a trade that Is worth a con-