The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-03-26 00:00:00

TORY PROTECTION FOR FARMERS AND
LANDLORDS, AND DEARER FOOD FOR
THE PEOPLE.

The following circular has been issued by the
National Reform Union. We trust that all who read
It will do their beet to talcs action in the matter, and
to persuade all their friends to do the same :-
41. King Street, Mancoester, March 214, 1878.
Dear B r.—l am instructed by my Committee to direct
your sttenti-n to the Contagious Mimeses (Animals) Bill
anion Li now passing through Parli•cnenb, and to urge
11 upon you the 00Mity of opposing it to utmost by
means of re,olittions, petitions, inenoriala, and any other
meths that lie in your Power, and evP,Vielly by bringing
induence to boar on your representatives In Parliament to
persuade them to oppose the Bill. I subjoin copies of •
resolution and • petition which may asitit you in taking
lininediate action, and beg also to direct your attention to
she following specially mischievous feature of the Bill:
(1) By the clauses which reitte to the ootnpulsory
slaughter at the port of debarkation of all "fat' animals
imported from abroad, whether infected with a contagious
amass or not, and even though they be imported from
countries where 0i5•6401 does not exist, and has not for •
considerable period existed, the mi pply of m must front
Continent is practically prohibited, and the result must
tnt greatly increased prices, by which the public will be
directly injured, and only the Kugl master and his
landlord benefited.
(g) That is bile thee. stringent regulations are inserted
with regard to "fat" cattle, store and dab" tattle are
most inconsistently allowed Lobs imp trim! or to travel
alive through the country after bang quarantined for •
certain period.
(3) That p users are given to inspectors to order the
compulsory daughter, not only of all animals actually
age,-had with pleuro-onsumon,a, but also of all animals
that are, Of have been, in contact with an Infected animal,
and 'even of all suspected animals, or an animals in an
affected or a suspected district.
That compensation for &Widowed anintala is to he
imild to the owners out of the Public Troeintry or the
Weal rates; and thereby farmers are protected from the
legitimate risks w'oich attend their trade, and this
principle of mutual insurance, be which they Ought to
protect themselves, as other tractors do In the cage of their
own trades, is ignored.
an That the Prudes' oIoPPIO 01 No foreign 040917

intrary to all Use prie6Ples of tree trade. and ls • retort
to the mischieveua protectionist policy which formerly
obtained in this country ivith razard to the C ro Laws
(d) That the pdwers given to lospectora, by which they
mar, on were suspicion. doge any market, fair. We,
eihibittott, eternities. or any other place in which the
Cittle Trade is carnal on, are arburary and unnecessarily
severe, sail calculated to do great injury by limiting the
meat supply of the country.
(7) The evidence of Vde leading Veterinary Burgeona
before the /ie.:out Committee last year we
directly oppueed to the suggested legislatioo. Professor
C. T. Brown, pr..teasiond officer of thy Veterinary
Department cd the Privy Couitot, sail : The entree in
that if you stop the supply Dons abroad, the disea.n .111
die out, is to my mind entirely incomprehensible." And
: **l do not believe that the prevalence of the
armeelg this country has anything to do, speakkii
generally. with its introduction from abroad.' Tho
evidence of Professor .1. B. Simonds, Principal of (h•
Rips! Veterinary Callege oflldgland. was to the mum
effect.
It has been calculated that if the effect of the passing
of this measure be to add only one penny in the i•ituid to
the price of butchers* meat—an extremely low estimate—
the addition would be equivalent to a tax producing six-
teen millions sterling, or an income-tax of over teepee°,
in tbe pound. But the Itt-oinsetaz affecte only a certain
portion of the community ; whereas the Price of meat is •
matter which nearly concerns everyone in the land. It
most be remembered too that we get twenty-seven per
cent, of our meat supply (rein abroad, and that even now,
what with cost of freight and fodder on the iburnii,
foreign cattle are heavily handicapped in the cocupet.tio•
with &latish fed cattle. Whet then must be the resulta
If this source of competition ii. entirtly removed I And
this measure is brought forward at • time of great cum.
Inercial depression, when capital in unproductive. 'meat
ale low, and the air is lull of rumours war. ft 14 lobe
te lied, therefore, that ad persona rare:dims of party or
clam considerations, will combine 'no give Lois 8.11 •
vigorous and uncompromising oppoisition, awl I most
sincerely beg that you will at one., take action in that
sat, dear sir, yours faith f OLT.
ARTHUR a SYMONDS. Soc.

Foam cr

"That this meeting prolog's manumit the min-hies-mu
rwactionary and protactioniat measure now pes,ing through
Psrlianient, entitled the Contagious Diemesee (Amulets)
Bill and burgh, calla upon the representative. of thoe
(borough or district) in Parliament to do their utmost to
prevent its sowing into law."