BLACKLEG AGAIN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 313, 12 February 1910, Page 2

BLACKLEG AGAIN

WARNING TO FARMERS.

CRIMINAL NEGLECT AND ITS POSSIBILITIES.

Captain A. R. Young, the Government Veterinarian, in conversation "with a Daily News representative on Friday mentioned that there was urgent need for the farmers of Taranaki to be once more aroused to a sense of their responsibility in connection with blackleg and its prevention. Three or four years ago, when calves were dying by hundreds from the scourge, the Stock Department instituted a policy of vaccinat? ing all calves in the district, and it was not long before the Department had the hearty co-operation of practically every s'tockowner in the district. The inspectors had merely to notify, hy advertisement or otherwise, that they would be prepared to inoculate calves at a certain place on a eertain date to cause all the fanners in the immediate vicinity to set out with their young stock for the place appointed, and often thousands were inoculated against infection in one day. It was made a penal offence to ship young cattle out of Taranaki without inspection and inoculation by the Stock Department, or to offer any unvaccinated calves for sale. The policy proved most successful, and now blackleg is practically unknown here. The need for inoculation, however, still exists; but, with the scare removed, farmers have already learned to neglect and undervalue the necessity for preventive measures. They are not bringing their calves to the various depots (for inoculation, and cases are reported where unvaccinated calves have been Sold in public yards, in direet contravention of the law. The Stock Department is contemplating taking stringent measures to ensure the farmers taking more interest in this matter. Captain Young savs that though blackleg has been almost wiped out, there is still need for rigorous inspection and unfailing sompliance with the regulations that have brought suocess within measurable distance. " Failure to bring calves along for inoculation is going to reader all our past work of no value," said the veterinarian. "All our nesults so far will be spoiled, just when success seems to be within reach, and the farmers are also making themselves liable to a heavy penalty for their 'neglect. The suoces's ■of the Department's, work ought to lead the farmers to encourage them, but instead they are going slow, with the inevitable result that if they don't I wake up, or if tlifey are not wakened up by the Department, Mackleg is going to be as bad as ever, and that very soon."

He added that some farmers labored under the iufpression tlia>t they were not liable to prosecution unless they sold their unvaccinatcd animals'. It was quite possible that a prosecution or two would be taken as a means of enlightening people on this point.