236 



Eradication of Swine Fever. [June, 



into use in connection with other diseases could be employed 

 in the diagnosis of non-typical cases of swine fever. 



Experimental work in connection with these questions is in 

 progress, and will form the subject of a subsequent report. 

 The present report deals, therefore, more especially with 

 administrative questions. The Committee state that many 

 criticisms have been offered as to different aspects of the 

 present administration, and various suggestions have been 

 made by witnesses, but both criticisms and suggestions have 

 been of a conflicting and contradictory nature. No case has 

 been "made out for any radical change in the administrative 

 machinery now employed by the Board. 



The Committee are satisfied that — 



(i) The administrative control must remain, as now, in the 

 hands of the central authority — i.e., the Board of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries. 



(ii) Restriction on movement, including movement from 

 markets, must continue to form an essential part of any 

 measures adopted to extirpate swine fever. 



(iii) The policy of "slaughtering out" in the case of all 

 outbreaks now in force in Scotland and Wales should be 

 applied to the country generally as soon as practicable. 



(iv) The present scale of compensation should be main- 

 tained. 



(v) In the general interest of the industry the size of infected 

 areas should be kept as small as possible, due regard being 

 had to the object in view. 



Much ignorance and misconception exists as to the nature 

 of the procedure now employed in the attempt to eradicate 

 swine fever. Cordial co-operation between pig-owners and 

 the authorities, both central and local, is thereby rendered 

 difficult of attainment. Every effort should be made to 

 remove these fruitful sources of friction. 



The attention of the Committee has also been called to the 

 confusion arising from the want of uniformity in the printing 

 of licences and declarations required by the Board's Orders. 

 It is important that all local authorities should co-operate 

 cordially with the Board, and should adopt a completely 

 uniform system of procedure with respect to the granting of 

 licences and standard forms, both as regards size and colour, 

 for licences and declarations. 



