THE POLEAXE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18900, 22 December 1923, Page 5

THE POLEAXE

. CONSTERNATION IN CHESHIRE RAVAGES OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. By Telegraph.-—Press Association. —Copyright. Received December 21, 7.40 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 20. Forty-six new outbreaks of foot and » mouth disease occurred on Wednesday, , of which thirty-two were in Cheshire Compensation paid now totals £1.367.000, and the cattle slaughtered 46,000. The continued spread of the plague is . causing consternation among farmers, [many of whom assert that the Govcrn- . [incut's policy of wholesale slaughter . ihas utterly failed. They urge an alternative policy of isolation and treatment. A large and representative meeting of Cheshire farmers at Crewe revealed cases where cattle condemned were treated and cured before the overworked slaughterers were able to reach farms, yet the Ministry of Agriculture refused to reconsider condemnation, declaring “the cattle will be killed and burnt to-morrow." Farmer after farmer agreed that foot and mouth disease could be cured if treated immediately. They said the pole axe was knocking the bottom out of the ; Cheshire dairy industry. Sir Stewart Stockman, chief voter- j inary officer to the Board of Agriculture, however, was not, convinced. He I said the period of immunity of a cured I animal was short. It would contract I the disease again, and restart the vicJious circle. An elderly farmer retorted that forty years ago slaughtering was not thought of, and the disease was cured. An aged fanner with the appearance of a Hebrew prophet denounced the Government's policy on the ground of cruelty. He cried: “Show mercy, and mercy will be shown to you. You cannot combat this disease, because the Lord is not with you." CATTLE OWNERS TALK OF RESISTANCE government threaten 1 armed force. j (Received 11.35 p.m., Dec. 21 ) , PERTH, Dec. 21. ; The board which is controlling the , Rinderpest outbreak has issued a ; warning against attempts to evade i the regulations issued for the control of the disease. This is the out- i come of the receipt of a message that i cattle owners in the Belmont area s would not be responsible for what : happened when patrols commenced mustering within a mile radius of the i latest point of disease contact. It is|] stateu that a policy of resistance was 1 agreed upon by owners at a meeting 1 as there are many valuable cows inh this district which will have to be [i slaughtered. The owners have been i informed by the authorities that, if [t necessary, the police will be armed in [1 order that they may enforce the regu- < lations. ‘ t FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ' HOPEFUL (Received 11.25 p.m., Dec. 21.) MELBOURNE, Dec. 21. The Federal quarantine department believes that Rinderpest in West Australia will be stamped out without recourse to the manufacture of serum, which involves great danger, as a living organism has to belt used in its manufacture. J