§ MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the diseased herds of Victoria and the dirty condition of many of the dairies there; whether he is aware that reports from the Dairymen's Association, the Perishable Products Committee, the Municipal Conference on Milk and Meat, and Dr. Springthorpe were some time ago submitted to the Premier of the Colony, and these reports all agree as to the disease among the herds, the want of ordinary cleanliness in many of the dairies, and the total want of inspection of the dairy herds of the Colony; and, whether, in the interest of the public health, he will make inquiry into the matter, with the view to take due precaution against the danger of receiving 468 into this country butter from dirty dairies in Victoria?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Liverpool, West DerbyI have been in communication with the Agent General for Victoria on the subject of this Question, and I have received from him a memorandum in which he states that there is no such thing as the "diseased herds of Victoria," and that no such reports as are referred to have been made. I shall be happy to supply the hon. Member with a copy of this memorandum, and I propose to bring the subject under the notice of the Local Government Board with whom it rests to consider whether any further action in the interest of the public health is necessary and practicable.