CAMBRIDGE FARMERS' CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1196, 26 February 1880, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE FARMERS' CLUB.

The usual monthly meeting of the members of this Club was held at the Clubhouse, Cambridge, on Tuesday afternoon, Mr James Runciman, Vice-President, occupying the chair. The following members were present :— Major Wilson, Messrs Hicks, Clarke, J. P. Campbell, H. W. Tiniie, W. L. O. Williams, J. Fisher, A. A. Fantham, R. Reynolds, E. B. Walker, John Runciman and W. A. Graham. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, a letter was read from Mr James Wallace, claiming the champion cup for the best ram in the yard at the late show. The Secretary explained that, although I it was understood that in order to entitle any exhibitor to the cup, it should be won twice in succession, no such condition had been inserted in the general regulations. In these circumstances it was decided to inform Mr Wallace that his claim would be acceded to. The Chairman then called on Major Wilson to read his promised essay on "The Culture of Grasses."

PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. Major Wilson said he had come prepared to read his essay, but it had been suggested to him that, in view of the importance attached to the subject of Pleuro-pnemonia, which had broken out in the district within the past few days, he should postpone his task for the present to allow the discussion on the other matter to be proceeded with. To this he the more readily acceded because the subject to be brought forward by Mr Fantham required their immediate atten- ' tion, while the other would not suffer by a little delay. Mr Fantham then moved, "That rule 6 be suspended " in order to allow of his moving certain resolutions. No apology was required from him in so doing, because the importance of the subject fully warranted the action which he would suggest should be taken. When the matter was discussed at their last meeting they little thought they would be called upon so soon to take action upon it. The motion having been seconded by Mr John Fisher was carried. Mr Fantham then read the following resolutions, which he intended to move: — That the Government be requested (i) to appoint Mr Geo. Naden, M.R.C.V.S.,thiet inspector tor the district of Auckland ; (2) not to allow btoek to be landed from other than New Zealand ports without having been quarantined at least 42 days and inspected ; (j) to at once proclaim the Auckland, \\ aipa, Waikato, Upper 1 names, and Piako districts an infected district ; (4) to at once have all railway platforms, cattle trucks, yards, &c, disinfected; (5) the Government to prevent any person from removing any cow, heifer, bull, bullock, o\ or calf along any highway, thoroughfare, or public plat c for the period ot 42 da} s from the date of order, and after 42 days all c attic to be inspected, by the inspector appointed by the Government ; in the event ot disease breaking out the Governmentv ernment to at once hay c the herd valued and the whole or any part thereof killed as may be ordered by the inspector, the Government paying one half ot the value of all slaughtered animals ; (6) any owner of cattle believing his stock to be infected shall at ome call in the district inspector, and any owner knowingly not giving notice within 12 hours of the presence ot the disease to be liable to a fine ot at least £100 — any person giving information of such neglect to receive halt the fine ; (7) the above not to prevent any person from slaughtering cattle on his or her land, and removing the carcases to any place for sale ; (8) any person exposing diseased meat for sale to be liable to a fine of not less than j£ioo — any person gn ing information against such person to receive half the fine. He &aid nothing else hi the province was of such importance as the subject now before them. He woidd endeavor to explain why he had asked them to adopt his resolutions. In the first place he asked tha Government to appoint Mr Naden because in so doing-, he was following up the action of the Auckland Agricultural Society, which body had already made a similar request. It appeared that Mr Naden was the only qualified man in the town of Auckland. He knew him to be an able man, and well qualified. Jin the second place, they should not allow stock to be landed from foreign parts until they had been quarantined. This was only fair. He complained of the manner in which the Auckland society had been treated by the Attorney-General, and said the idea of the latter to retain the present inspector, and call in Mr Naden to assist could not be entertained, because, no duly qualfied man such as Mr Naden would consent to be at the beck and call of one who was his inferior in knowledge. As regards the third resolution, lie would say that it was not usual for people to imprison themselves, but it was much better that they should proclaim themselves infected than that others should do bo. Tho Chairman here suggested that it would be bettei for th,e purpose of <Us-

oussion to take the resolutions m'catim, passing them or rejecting them one by one. This course was agreed to, and the first resolution was seconded by Mi Hicks, who thought with the mover, now the disease had broken out they should follow it up. Ihey should not entrust the matter to any but fully qualified men, and with that view he had much pleasure in seconding the resolution. Mr Fisher wished to know if there existed any Act to guide them, because they might be interfering with the Government. Mr Clark understood that the Government was prepared to appoint Mr Naden, provided he was j the only qnalified man in the district. Mr Fantham said that after all, the motion was merely in the form of a suggestion. He was sure they would have the suppox-t of the Auckland people. Mr Campbell said the only way in which the Government could act upon their suggestion was by Orders-in-Council, which the Governor was empowered to issue when occasion demanded. Any suggestions from them would, he thought, be gladly received by the Government. The first resolution was then put and carried. The second resolution was then moved. Mr John Fisher seconded, remarking that it was high time that some system of quarantine should be adopted with regard to foreign cattle, more especially now that the disease was known to exist in the Australian colonies. Mr Walker was of opinion that they ought first to deal with the case of the cattle already here, not with those not yet landed. While they were waiting to see what the Government would do they should be active in the matter themselves. Mr Fantham said tnat some 300 or 400 head of cattle were expected from Australia in the course of a few days, and it was therefore clearly their first duty to keep the disease out so far as they could. Mr Clark warmly supported the resolution, because the greatest danger was to be apprehended from a further influx of Australian cattle on account of the facilities which now existed for bpreading them over the district. That hona file breeders were iguorant of the existence of the disease no greater proof was required than that they had turned the imported cattle into their herds, but there was a class of speculators who had little interest in the colony, and who would continue to import, even when they were aware of the ontbreak. It was against this class that the province should be protected. The resolution was carried. In moving the next resolution (No. 3) Mr Fantham considered the demands of the case could only be met by at once declaring the whole district infected ; because if the desease were to reach to Ohaupo, for instance, jieople in this district might be tempted to remove their stock to Napier, which, to say the least, would be an unfair proceeding. Major Wilson said a person so acting might be jumping out of the fryingpan into the fire. Mr Fantham said all foreign cattle landing at Napier were quarantined, and the same system obtained in Canterbury and other places. He really believed that Auckland was at least 50 years behind the rest of the colony. The resolution was seconded by Mr Williams. The Chairman here read clauses 11 and 12 of the "Cattle Diseases Act, 1871," under which the Govemor-in-Council was empowered to make provision in cases such as that under discussion. Mr Fisher moved as an amendment "That the Government be requested to bring the 11th and 12th clauses of the " Cattle Disease Act " into operation. He looked upon it as a serious thing to proclaim a clean district infected, and so stop the sale ot cattle. Mr Fantham pointed out that this resolution did not propose to prevent the sale of cattle ; another resolution dealt with that matter. Mr Fisher said the one hinged upon the other. The Chairman said that clause 20 of the Act, gave the inspector the power to declare infected districts. Mr Fantham thought there was little difference between the resolution and the amendment. It was evident that as the disease extended from Auckland up to near Cambridge the whole must be proclaimed an infected district. Mr Fisher objected to the resolution on the score that they should not drag others in with them. It had yet to be proved that the disease had appeared either in the Waikato or Waipa districts. The places where the disease had broken out should undoubtedly be proclaimed infected, and the cattle trucks should be disinfected ; but his amendment if carried would, he thought, meet the case fully. Mr R. Reynolds seconded the amendment. Mr Hicks differed from Mr Fisher altogethei-. It -was well-known that cattle had died in Auckland from pleuro, aiul it was equally well-known that cattle by the same ship had been received in Waikato, and that some of these had died. What more did they want 'i He did not see how the Government could act unless the district was first proclaimed infected. Mr Fantham said the disease might at any time break out on his place, and he did not want his neighbors to suffer. He knew of an individdal who, fearing one of his recently imported animals might be infected, had sent it to another man's stable. Mr Hicks asked if Mr Fisher doubted the existence of the disease in the Te Awamutu district. Mr Fantham had good authority for saying it did. Mr Campbell said he albo had heard of the existence of the disease at Te Awamutu. Mr E. B. Walker said in that case the settlers should themselves take immediate action. Some discussion arose as to whether cattle could be moved from place to place within an infected district, when Mr Campbell said the Act laid down that no cattle could be so moved without a certicate from the inspector. On being put to the meeting the amendment was carried. Mr Fantham in moving the fourth resolution, said it needed little explanation. He quoted from Professor Gamgee to show how necessary it was to disinfect reilway trucks. The resolution was carried without discussion. Mr Fantham then moved the fifth resolution. At first sight, he said, they would think this a very arbitrary measure. (Laughter). They might laugh, but he hoped to show cause why it would be wise to carry it out. It would be said, no doubt that it would be a great hardship for the poor man were he prevented from selling his stock; but now that the disease had broken out in the neighbourhood of Te Awamutu and Ohaupo, what man wotild go there to buy cattle. It was simply absurd to think any body would ; because it might be the means of spreading the disease ten times further than it had already gone. The question was, "Have we got the disease?" To this he would answer, we have. How far had it gone ? Tin's was the question for them now to consider. During the last few days of December a vessel, he believed it was the Hero, brought over a number of cattle for a gentleman in Auckland. Some of the cattle had died of Pluro, and, unfortunately, some of them bud come, close to their own doors.

The disease might break out among these at any time. They had passed into at least 10 different hands, and had travelled by railway, perhaps leaving behind them poision sufficient to infect a thousand head of cattle. They ought to use their influence in every way to prevent this. A man kmowing the state of the case, would be mad to buy cattle either at Cambridge or Ohaupo, and place them along with his own herd. No objection could fairly be urged against his proposition. At the present, there were at Pokeno, Ohaupo, Cambridge, and Piako, cattle which had came over in the vessel he had named. It was, therefore, absolutely necessary that they should take stringent measures to prevent the disease spreading. Let the sales be stopped for 24 days, and by that time either the disease would know it self, or they need not be under any apprehension. In England, and other parts of Europe, they could not entirely get rid of the disease, because it had gone too far, and he believed that if it were once to get into the bush, they would find it a hopeless task to attempt its eradication. The only way to get rid of it was to put their feet upon it like Britons, and stamp it out. ! Mr Clark, here, introduced Mr C. J. Storey to the meeting, and that gentleman, as well as Mr A. Ramsay, who accompanied him, confirmed the report that one of the beasts which arrived in the Hero, in December, had died in Te Awamutu, though they were not prepared to say that the cause of death was pleuroneumonia. | After some remarks by various mem- | bers, Mr W. A. Graham seconded the resotion. It was, he said, an undoubted hardship to stop the sale of cattle, but it would be a greater hardship to lose their cattle altogether. Mr Fisher moved, as an amendment, " That the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to the Governor or the Colonial Secretary." He thought any further resolution had been rendered unnecessary by his former amendment, which the meeting had carried. Mr W. L. C. Williams seconded the amendment. MrFautham strongly urged the Club to pass the resolution upon the ground lie had already shown ; but, after some further discussion, the amendment was carried by a large majority. The sixth resolution was seconded by Mr John Fisher, and carried ; and the seventh Mr Fanthain withdrew because it was rendered useless by the rejection of No. 5. The eighth resolution was seconded by Mr E. B. Walker, and carried without opposition. The following were appointed a committee to draw up the resolutions in proper form and forward them to the Government : — Major Wilson, Messrs E. B. Walker, J. P. Campbell, and A. A. Fantham ; and a sub-committee consisting of the President, Messrs Fantham, E. B. Walker, James Runciman, C. J. Storey, and A. Ramsay, with power to add to their number, was appointed to wait on the Resident Minister in Auckland, if necessary, and to take steps regarding the cases of disease reported to have occurred in Waikato. Some new members were proposed for election at next meeting, and some other business of a routine nature having been transacted the meeting terminated.