1922.] Live Stock and Horse Breedtnc. Improvement. 535 



The Committee on National Expenditure — commonly known 

 as the Geddes Committee — recommended very considerable reduc- 

 tions in the expenditure on the Ijive Stock Schemes, but after 

 full consideration the Government decided that no " cut " need 

 be made in the subsidy to Milk Recording, Bull and Boar 

 Societies. In view, however, of the urgent necessity for reduc- 

 tion in public expenditure the Ministry had reluctantly to dis- 

 continue its grants this season to Heavy Horse Societies, but 

 as the majority of the societies subsidised were not in an unsatis- 

 factory financial condition and had learnt the value of using 

 good sires and of co-operating to secure the provision of them, 

 it is hoped that the societies will continue their good work even 

 though financial assistance from the Ministry is no longer 

 possible. In this connection it may be pointed out that the 

 Heavy Horse Scheme was initiated in 1914 w^ith the object, 

 inter alia, of discouraging the use of the unsound travelling 

 stallion whose popularity was mainly due to his low fee. As, 

 however, the unsound travelling stallion has been driven off the 

 road by the operation of the Horsebreeding Act, 1918, it w^ill 

 be recognised that the need for the Heavy Horse Scheme is not 

 so gi'eat now as it was when originally brought into operation. 

 It? discontinuance is nevertheless regretted. 



The progi-ess made by the Boar, Bull and Milk Recording 

 Schemes is^ satisfactory, and the following details may be of 

 interest : — 



Year. 



Boars. 



Bulls. 



Horse?. 



No. of 



Total 

 Animals 



No 



of 



Total 

 Animals 



Societies. 

 I iidividiials. 



■f. 



V. 



"o 

 c 

 -/) 







Societies. 



1 



StallioiiB. 



1914—15* 



115 nil 



115 



369 



43 



4".'7 



65 



-o 



11)15—16 



180 nil 



193 



489 



28 



633 



88t 



97 



1916—17 



186 15 



216 



543 



15 



659 



93t 



108 



1917—18 



172 i 92 



264 



578 



14 



710 



94t 



110 



1918—19 



156 167 



350 



604 



7 



721 



lOlt 



122 



1919—20 



120 225 



899 



568 



6 



675 



93t 



118 



1920—21 



135 2S5 



441 



561 



6 



668 



86t 



105 



19-21—22 



lis lie. 



550 



726 



3 



847 



83+ 



101 



* IncludiuL,' the [)enoil Isi February, 1914- 31^t March. 1914. 

 t Exflnding the Cumberland and Westmorland Heavy Horse Society formed in 

 1915 — 16. whii h issues assisted nominations only. 



