Thursday, December 12, 1889. 
1G3 
a final decision as to the place of meeting in 1891 will be made by 
the Council in February next. 
25. The Council refer with satisfaction ' to the recent establish- 
ment, under an Act of last Session, of a Board of Agriculture, with 
their colleague, Mr. Chaplin, at its head, and they trust that the 
interests of the agricultural community will now receive adequate 
consideration at the hands of Her Majesty's Government. They 
are especially of opinion that, in view of the continued prevalence 
of pleuro-pneumonia, the Government should undertake, without 
further delay, the stamping out of that disease from the country, 
since the result of the working of the Pleuro-Pneumonia Slaughter 
Order of 1888 during the past six months has been very disappoint- 
ing and unsatisfactory. The number of fresh outbreaks has in- 
creased, as compared with the returns of the preceding half-year ; 
and though it is true there has been a slight decrease in England, 
which may possibly be due to accidental causes, in Scotland the out- 
breaks have increased over 90 per cent. One reason why the Order 
has not proved to be more successful, appears to be the want of 
uniformity of action on the part of Local Authorities. In some 
districts, where the requirements of the Order have been promptly 
carried out, the disease has been for a time eradicated, only to be 
re-introduced from others where the provisions of the Order have 
been less rigidly enforced. It is evident, from the number of fresh 
outbreaks which have during the past few months occurred among 
cattle soon after purchase, that infected animals still find their way 
into markets and sale-yards, and afterwards prove the means of 
establishing fresh centres of the disease. If all cattle exposed to 
infection were slaughtered within ten days, as required by the 
Order, no infected animals could be thus moved, and publicly ex- 
posed for sale. With the present regulations in force, infected cattle, 
which spread pleuro-pneumonia from markets, sale-yards, and 
dealers' premises, must have come originally out of some place 
where the disease had existed and been concealed, or, if reported, 
the Local Authority had failed to slaughter all the animals exposed 
to infection. As at present administered, the Slaughter Order has 
up to the present time failed to make any satisfactory progress 
towards the eradication of the disease. 
26. In view of these circumstances, the Council, at their meet- 
ing on November 6, adopted the following resolution, which has 
been forwarded to the Board of Agriculture : — 
That the Government should take action in regard to pleuro-pneumonia, 
and that they should apply the necessary measures for stamping out the dis- 
ease by slaughter, under imperial control, and at the cost of the Imperial 
exchequer. 
The Council have also called the attention of the Board of Agricul- 
ture to the continued spreading of swine-fever, and to the want of 
uniformity in the regulations which are issued by the various Local 
Authorities f6r the purpose of checking the disease. 
H 2 
