Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎137v] (274/442)

1909 Foot-and' ■ Mouth Disease. HOUSE OF COMMONS Foot-and-Mouth Disease. TOIO 1
[Mr. Money.]
the Authority ought not to stand upon its
dignity, but meet the men’s representa
tives with a view to ending the dispute ?
The PRIME MINISTER: I have only
just got the reply. Perhaps the hon.
Gentleman will put the question down.
Mr. O’GRADY: I desire to ask the
Prime Minister a question of which I have
given him private notice, whether his at
tention has been called to the published
statement that neither the employers nor
the workmen involved in the present
transport dispute in the Port of London
have yet received any official intimation
of the Resolution carried by this House
on 1st July, and, if so, will he at once send
the Resolution to both sides and offer to
carry its terms into effect ?
The PRIME MINISTER: I have seen
the statement referred to. The Resolu
tion of the House is a Resolution express
ing an opinion that it is desirable that
employers and employed should meet, and
at does not suggest that the Government
should take any action. The terms of the
Resolution are perfectly well known to
both parties, nor am I convinced that any
official intimation as to the Resolution
will have any effect. I will, however, take
care that it is formally communicated to
both parties. I will only add that in the
Debate on that Resolution I expressed my
own personal hope that employers and em
ployed would meet, and I cannot help
thinking that in the course of time, and
I hope before very long, some effect may
be given to that expression of opinion.
Mr. O’GRADY: I only asked the ques
tion because, first of all, the statement was
made by the employers that they have had
no official intimation of that Resolution.
The PRIME MINISTER: I will see that
they get it.
FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.
70. Mr. CHARLES BATHURST asked
the Vice-President of the Department of
Agriculture (Ireland), whether he has yet
ascertained the cause of the original out
break of foot-and-mouth lisease at Swords,
in county Dublin; and what steps have
been or are being taken by his Department
to trace it?
Mr. T. W. RUSSELL (Vice-President of
the Department of Agriculture, Ireland):
The answer to the first part of the ques
tion is in the negative. All the facts are
being ascertained and recorded with a
view to any inquiry that may be held. But
the hon. Member must know that the
whole resources of the Department have
been, and are being, strained in the effort £
to confine the disease to the parish of
Swords.
Mr. C. BATHURST: Is not the first
step taken by the Board of Agriculture in
England to try and trace the cause of the *
disease from any foodstuffs or other stuffs
which are found on the premises ?
Mr. RUSSELL: I have stated that we
are ascertaining or recording all the facts
in connection with, the outbreak.
71. Mr. C. BATHURST asked the Vice-
President of the Department of Agricul
ture (Ireland) whether he had discovered
who it was who removed the lips,
tongue, and other diseased parts of the
carcass of an animal affected with foot-
and-mouth disease in Ireland prior to its
consignment to Liverpool; if not, what
steps had he taken to effect such discovery
with a view to the conviction and punish
ment of the offender under Section 52 of
the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894; and
how such mutilated carcass passed the
officials of the port and of his Department #
at Waterford undetected?
Mr. RUSSELL: As at present advised, I
am not prepared on the evidence before
me to admit that which the hon. Member m
apparently takes as a fact, namely, that
any such mutilated head or carcass ever
left W aterford. The ten head of cattle and
their antecedents have been minutely
traced. The veterinary inspector of the
local authority examined the animals be
fore slaughter, and examined them for
foot-and-mouth disease and found no trace
of it. The butcher who slaughtered the
animals has sworn that they were quite
healthy, and the firm consigning them
absolutely denies the mutilation theory.
These ten heads were reported from Liver
pool to have been forwarded from Water
ford in a sack. The heads sent from
Waterford were sent in tw r o strong
hampers. One tongue was described as
being cut out and the jaw mutilated. In
the Waterford consignment all the tongues
were cut out and packed in rice paper
according to the custom of the trade. The
latter part of the hon. Member’s question
is based on the same assumption.
Mr. CHAPLIN : Is it not the fact that in
the case of the animals which arrived at ^
Liverpool it was reported to the Board of
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