§ Sir G. Jeffreysasked the Minister of Agriculture when he proposes to consider, with a view to the adoption, or abstention from adoption, of compulsory methods, the result of the working of the voluntary system under which farmers and dairymen are asked to reduce their herds by 5 per cent., and to kill beef beasts up to an aggregate total of some 300,000?
Mr. HudsonUnder the instructions issued to county war agricultural executive committees their district representatives will, in the course of the visits to farms that are being undertaken during the next two months in connection with next season's ploughing-up campaign, discuss with the farmer the culling of his cattle. Where a farmer is unwilling to cull unsuitable animals, a report will be made to the executive committee with a view to the exercise, if necessary, of compulsory powers after inspection of the farmer's stock by members of expert panels which are being appointed in each county for this purpose. The object of this plan is to weed out from our herds inferior and unthrifty animals that are not worth their keep rather than to achieve the slaughter of any particular number of stock.