EMBARGO WANTED

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1938, Page 9

EMBARGO WANTED

By Telegraph—Press Association.

IMPORTATION OF STOCK DAIRY BOARD'S DECISION OPINION OF DR. HAMMOND

Wellington, Last Night. There was no malignant foot and mouth disease in Great Britain and it was the general belief that it was brought into the country by migratory flocks of starlings from the Continent, said Dr. John Hammond, Cambridge University, when replying to a question put to him at to-day's conference of the New Zealand Dairy Board. \ He said he realised that an outbreak of the disease in New Zealand would be calamitous but it would also be a calamity if it broke out in the United States and Canada and those two countries had been importing stock from Great Britain for quite a long time without any outbreak. Treble Real Values Paid. England had to be free from any outbreak for three months before any stock experts were allowed. Whether New Zealand wanted English animals or not (he preferred the New Zealand breed of Jerseys to English) the Dominion was already importing stock by roundabout means and was paying up to two and three times the real value for animals. Following this reply a remit was introduced on behalf of the Morrinsville Cooperative Dairy Company by Mr. F. W. Seifert: "That restrictions against the importation of cattle from countries where foot and mouth disease is prevalent- be retained." : A delegate: "We have avoided it up to the present time and we should still avoid it." Mr. John Fisher, Southern Ward, said consideration should be given to the excess costs of importation. When he was in Scotland it was pointed out to him that the New Zealand farmer had paid £1407 for six Ayrshire heifers which cost the seller £245. A remit was carried on the voices. A, motion was passed asking that the reports of Dr. G. H. Hucker and Dr. Hammond on thedr investigations into the dairy industry in New Zealand be made iavailable to the industry through the Department of Agriculture.