§ MR. BARCLAY (Forfarshire)I beg to ask the Minister for Agriculture, in view of the scarcity of store cattle in this country, if he will take measures to ascertain authoritatively whether the cattle in the Western States of America are free from contagious disease; and, if so, will he further inquire whether such cattle might not be conveyed to this country without risk of coming in contact with animals in the Eastern States among which disease may exist?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. CHAPLIN,) Lincoln, SleafordIt would not be practicable for the Board of Agriculture to institute an inquiry in the Western States of America with a view to determine whether the cattle of that extensive territory were free from infectious disease. It is well-known that about two years ago pleuropneumonia existed to an alarming extent in Chicago and the surrounding districts, and that in the State of Illinois alone 1,425 cattle were found affected, quite irrespective of more than 1,000 head of cattle found diseased in the distilleries of Chicago. In view of these facts, it would seem hardly probable that the disease can have been entirely eradicated from the Western States. As regards the second part of the question, it would appear to be very undesirable that the Board of Agriculture should accept the responsibility of suggesting the means by which healthy cattle are to be conveyed through infected districts abroad, in order that they may be exported to 500 this country, more especially as the Government intend to proceed with legislation.