1922.] 



259 



A Memorandum was drawn lip stating the legal position in regard to pro- 

 ceedings before the Rates Tribunal* and referring incidentally to the position 

 of the Ministry in the matter. It appeared that under the new legislation the 

 Ministry, as such, had no locus standi in any appeal which might be made, 

 though it could as heretofore make repiesentations to the Railway Clearing 

 House or to individual Railway Companies in specific eases. As a result of 

 further discussion in Committee, the Minister communicated with the Ministry 

 of Transport on the question. That Department agreed that the Ministry could 

 not appear before the Railway Rates Tribunal as a matter of right on behalf 

 of agricultural representations. At the same time, the Minister promised 

 that everything would be done by the Ministry to assist agriculturists in 

 making their representations to the Tribunal. 



(8) Foot-anci-Mouth Disease Outbreak.— Soon after the dis- 

 covery of the disease in the country, the Minister called a special meeting of 

 the Committee and informed them of the main facts of the outbreak and of 

 the measures taken to arrest it. The Committee agreed that the policy adopted 

 appeared to be the right one in the circumstances. The Minister pointed out 

 that thei e was no justification for any rise in the price of meat, such as was 

 then taking place, because of the slaughter of the comparatively small number 

 of animals involved in the protective measures. On the question of policy, 

 the value of the Hocks and herds might be estimated at somewhere near 

 Co 12,000,000, and if a policy of isolation and treatment were adopted with the 

 practical certainty of the spread of the disease throughout the country, a very 

 serious loss to farmers and to the community would be incurred. Some special 

 proposals were made for dealing with valuable pedigree stock by isolation 

 rather than slaughter should they contract the disease, and points of detail 

 arising out of the conduct of the general operations were discussed. The 

 Minister arranged to call the Committee together again immediately in the 

 event of the disease spreading widely and btcoming epidemic. 



A further special meeting was held on the 23rd February to consider the 

 question of expenditure on Foot-and-Mouth Disease. It was reported that 

 although the outlook in regard to stamping out the disease was not unpromis- 

 ing, expenditure was mounting, so that the question had to be considered 

 whether an extension of the very restricted use of isolation might not be made. 

 The following Resolution was adopted : — 



••That this Committee strongly urges the Minister to continue the 

 present policy of slaughter for another t wo weeks, providing for isolation 

 where this can reasonably be carried out." 



Reports of the position in iegard to the outbreak were made at each 

 subsequent meeting of the Committee and advice requested upon several 

 points of principle and practice arising in the course <>f the operations agaii si 

 the disease. There has been no occasion to depart from the general pohVv , t 

 slaughter, with isolation in a comparatively few cases. 



(<)) The Allocation of the Grant of £850,000 for Agricultural 

 Education and Research.— As mentioned in the previous Report to the 

 Council, a Sub-Committee of the Agricultural Advisory Committee had bet n 

 appointed to go into the details of this matter with the Ministry and t<» report 

 to the Committee. A statement embodying the main conclusion? arrived at 

 by this Sub-Committee was considered at the meeting of the Committee on the 



* This Journal, April, 1922, p. 41. K - 



