RATTLE TICK PEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1925, Page 8

RATTLE TICK PEST.

THE WAITOMO DISTRICT. CLEAN AREA SNDANGERED. PROTEST TO THE MINISTER, Strong comment on the erection by the Agricultural Department of plant for treating tick-infested cattle at the mouth of the Mokau River, in Waitomo County, was made at a meeting of the Waitomo County Council on Friday last (says the Auckland Herald). Mr. R. Boddy said the department had found no tick in the district, which was a clean area, and yet it was published far and wide that precautions against tick had been provided for as if the county was infected. It was ridiculous that cattle from an infected area in the North were being brought into this clean area to be dipped and then taken through it and dipped again before going out. The process should be reversed, and the cattle dipped before they came into the district. Besides this the department had built a dip in the swamp, and in wet weather it was impossible to get cattle to it. He moved that a telegram in support of a previous protest from the Awakino settlers be sent to the Minister. Mr. C. K. Wilson said he was Lpld they had stopped dipping in the northern area and that stock arriving at Westfield were “alive with tick.” The. council should protest in the strongest language. The practice of sending an inspector to inspect stock brought in from the North by train was a farce, said Mr. Lee. The inspector did not have a chance of seeing a few tick in several hundreds of cattle. The stock should be dipped before being trucked. It was decided to communicate with the department accordingly. At a later stage a reply from the Miffister, promising consideration of the protest from the meeting of settlers at Awakino, was received.