Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎169r] (337/442)

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2035 Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
10 July 1912
Foot-and-Mouth Disease. 2030
Mr. LARDNER : I would like to say that
there is in Ireland a very real feeling that
the Irish cattle trade is going to be seri
ously injured by the present panic. The
Xoble Lord, no doubt in his own mind,
thinks that the head received at Liverpool
and alleged to have been fraudulently in
terfered with did come from Ireland. I
think no one who reads the telegram and
keeps an open mind and who is not suffer
ing from panic or fear will feel there
is evidence which will satisfy anyone
beyond doubt that this head did
come from Ireland. I wish to
impress on the Department of Agriculture
in Ireland that so far as it can it will obtain
all the information it possibly can get as
to the arrival of the heads which came to
Waterford and which were dispatched
from Waterford in a basket. There is
no doubt that there was a consignment
from Waterford in baskets and that heads
were also received from England and Scot
land. I think inquiry should be made as
to the condition of the other heads. If
that be so, it is fairly good evidence that
the head now complained of came from one
of the infected areas, having regard to the
fact that there is not a trace of foot-and-
mouth disease about Waterford. I would
strongly urge the Vice-President to urge
on the President of the English Depart
ment the opening of the port of Newry,
which is the natural port for the portion
of the country which I represent and the
surrounding districts. What is happening
at present is that cattle are being sent
twice the distance to Belfast, and the only
people who are benefiting are the Great
Xorthern Railway of Ireland. The Irish
farmers are suffering by the increased
expense, and the people on this side
getting the cattle are suffering by
the delay. I would ask the Vice-President
to say if there is an adequate staff for
proper inspection at the port of Newry. As
far as I can see the whole interests of the
Irish cattle trade are being sacrificed for
the convenience of English officials. You
want all cattle dispatched from Belfast be
cause they go to Birkenhead, where they
have a foreign animals’ wharf, while if they
come from Newry they may be sent to some
other port where there is no such accom
modation for English officials. I would
urge the Vice-President to look at the
matter in a more serious aspect. The
situation is becoming more urgent, and the
people are put to double expense in paying
the extra freight to Belfast. It will be a
relief to the police and the officials at Bel
fast if cattle are allowed to be sent to
Newry. There is a great deal of un
founded panic in this country in regard to
the Irish cattle trade. From county
Monaghan, on 18th June, there were
shipped two consignments of cattle; one
went to Aberdeen and the other to Ulver-
stone. The place where these cattle came
from is over 60 miles from the nearest
point of the scheduled area in Ireland,
and almost a hundred miles from the vil
lage of Swords. From the 18th June to the
present moment these cattle have been
shut up by the orders of some person. I
would like to ask the right hon. Gentle
man if he can tell us whether orders have
been made by the English Department
authorising local authorities to seize Irish
cattle which were sent to England and
Scotland as far back as 18th June, and to
keep them quarantined to the present
date 1 ? I am not going to enter into the
period of incubation, but these cattle have
been under the absolute control of the
local authorities since 18th June, and I
think at this stage we are entitled to know
whether the quarantine will be continued
or not.
I would urge again on the Vice-President
the necessity at the conference to-morrow
morning of inquiring into these matters,
and particularly as to the opening of the
port of Newry. If the cattle are to come
across at all it is only making things more
difficult in Ireland without improving them
in this country to shut the port of Newry.
The people have to send their cattle twice
the distance by rail. In fact at the present
moment I hear that arrangements are
being made to send the cattle a much
greater distance to Belfast. If there is
proper accommodation and a staff at
Newry what is the objection to opening
that port, provided the cattle are con
signed to a port on this side where
arrangements are made under the Foreign
Animals Order.
Mr. RUSSELL: In reply to the hon.
Member, may I say that any order affect
ing the ports on this side piust be dealt
with by the right hon. Gentleman the
responsible Minister. If I may be allowed
to say a word to the Noble Lord while this
alleged Waterford case is pending, I would
ask him and his Friends behind him, to
endeavour to keep an open mind. I have
promised an investigation. It is going
on, and the most competent men are
engaged in endeavouring to find out all
about the question. While it is pending
it is not too much to ask hon. Gentlemen