1920.] Speech by the Minister of Agricultl-re. 823 



result. These investigations take an immense amount of time; 

 they may take years. Every country that has tried to grapple 

 with the problem has failed so far. The task is obviously oney 

 of enormous complication and difficulty. Therefore I say it 

 will take a long time, and I hope you will wait with patience 

 for the result. I will not say much about our war on rats, 

 except to remind you that the next " National rat week " is 

 from November 1st to the 6th, and that England expects that 

 every farmer will do his duty. 



Importation of Stores: A Warning to Farmers. — In con- 

 nection with this matter of cattle disease, I am, as you know, 

 being constantly pressed by certain interests to admit store 

 cattle from abroad, and for reasons which I regard as good and 

 sufficient I have absolutely refused to consider making any 

 change in the existing law."^ (Hear, hear.) I am not going to 

 argue the case here again to-day, but I want to give one solemn 

 word of warning to farmers generally. There is, as you know, 

 a very remarkable and regrettable falling off in our herds 

 throughout the country; the latest returns show an almost 

 sensational drop: and it is due very largely to the abnormal 

 slaughter of calves that is going on throughout the country. 

 (Hear, hear.) I am aware that there are difficulties in rearing, 

 but this excessive slaughter is primarily the result of tempting 

 prices for veal. I can only say that if that is continued to a 

 point where there is a shortage of stores so great that our herds 

 cannot be maintained, then there will grow up an irresistible, 

 and I fear a much more justifiable, demand than there is at 

 the present time for importation of store cattle from abroad, 

 with all the risks that that may mean to the health and safety 

 of our herds. Unless, therefore, this indiscriminate slaughter 

 of calves is stopped, and unless there is more breeding and 

 rearing, those who are with me in thinking that store cattle* 

 should not be admitted will be selling the pass and destroying 

 their own case. 



Agricultural Organisation : The New Committees. — There 

 is only one word I want to say with regard to the new organisa- 

 tion of agriculture in the counties. I have gi'eat hopes for the 

 industry, as well as for the Ministry, in these new Agricul- 

 tural Committees. I am hoping that they will be the eyes and 

 ears of the Ministry in the counties; that they, through their 

 National Council of Agriculture, one for England and one for 

 Wales, will have what I may call their Agricultural Parlia- 

 ment, and that that again will elect what I may call an 



See note in the issue of this Journal for last month, p. 704. 



c 2 



