1906.] 



Movement of Swine. 



683 



The Board believe that it can with justice be maintained as 

 regards Great Britain that the present hopeful position has 

 largely been brought about by the continued enforcement of the 

 general restrictions upon the movement of swine imposed by the 

 operation of the Swine Fever (Regulation of Movement) Order 

 of 1903, or alternatively by restrictions of a similar character 

 embodied in Regulations made by Local Authorities, The 

 areas to which the Board's Order at present applies are thirteen 

 in number. 



The effect of the application of the Order of 1903 and the 

 suspension of Local Regulations is to permit of the free move- 

 ment of swine throughout the entire area, whilst prescribing in 

 the case of the movement of swine into any part of the area the 

 adoption of certain precautionary measures designed to prevent 

 the spread of swine fever ; and it appears to the Board to be of 

 fundamental importance that restrictions of such a character 

 though not necessarily applied to areas so limited as those of 

 single counties, should be maintained throughout the country for 

 some considerable period. They propose to extend considerably 

 the application of the Swine Fever (Regulation of Movement) 

 Order of 1903 to groups of counties in the near future. 



In determining how far the grouping of counties can at a 

 given moment be carried into effect, the Board must be guided 

 by the swine fever position and the history of swine fever in 

 the various districts. The character and extent of the pig in- 

 dustry, as well as the general trend of the pig trade, must also 

 be taken into consideration, it being clear that for the purpose in 

 view barriers should be maintained at which the movement of 

 swine from the principal counties from which pigs are widely 

 distributed throughout the country can be controlled until such 

 time as the danger of an epidemic of the disease in pig-exporting 

 counties has passed away. Otherwise the whole of the improve- 

 ment hitherto effected by the operations against the disease may 

 be lost. 



With every desire on the part of the Board to meet, so far as 

 possible, the wishes of Local Authorities as regards the grouping 

 of counties, it is almost inevitable that some disappointment will 

 be felt locally at the decisions of the Board. Each county is 

 naturally inclined to wish to find itself grouped with most of, or 



