1921.1 Prosecution under the Swine Fever Order. 99 



It is very generally admitted that the Act of has to a 



large extent removed from export the c lass of horse that made 

 up a very considerable part of the consignments before the War, 

 and it is hoped that the fresh action taken will still further secure 

 the observance of the Act. Every effort is being made to stimu- 

 late the slaughter by humane methods on this side of horses that 

 are intended for meat. It is proposed to extend this system to 

 the fullest possible extent so that no horse intended for con- 

 sumption may be sent across the seas alive. The extent to which 

 horse-slaughtering depots in this country have developed near 

 the ports •during the past six months is most encouraging and 

 favours the belief that home-killing will soon become the rule 

 and the export of live horses for meat a rare exception. At the 

 same time it is well to remember that a horse in all respects fit 

 for work may be bought in Belgium for meat, because horses 

 are sold in the open market and the butcher may be prepared to 

 outbid other buvers. 



In Glasgow last month a pig feeder was charged and found 



guilty of having had in his possession a number of pigs affected 



c _ , . _ with or suspected of having Swine Fever 



, and tailing to give notice of the outbreak to 



cution under the ° „ , , , 



_ . _ _ . the authorities. He was further charged 

 Swine Fever Order. , , , .,, , . B , 



and found guilty with having exposed 



twenty pigs for sale in one market and fifteen pigs for sale in 



another market, all these pigs being diseased or suspected of 



being diseased. Nearly all the pigs disposed of in the markets 



had died of Swine Fever within a short time of the sale. The 



Court imposed a fine of £100 with two months' imprisonment as 



an alternative. The Ministry of Agriculture through its 



inspectors lias traced the pigs that this dealer sold, and of the 



fifteen sold on the 8th December all were suffering from Swine 



Fever ten days later. The twenty sold on 6th December were 



disposed of to different farmers and introduced Swine Fever on 



eight sets of premises. The very serious injury which is done 



to the pig breeding industry by cases of this sort will be realised, 



and it is the duty of every pig keeper to see that he does not sell 



any animals which afford any suspicion of the existence of Swine 



Fever. In this trade as in all others there is a certain amount 



of wilful carelessness, even of fraud, but if the Petty Sessional 



Courts before which cases like the one referred to above are 



brought, will only deal with them en Hie same salutary lines it 



A 2 



