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SIR ELLIOT LEWIS: Does your Committee deal with animal diseases? LORD CROMER: To a certain extent.

LORD LUCAS: Yes, the reference includes that.

LORD CROMER: As far as South Africa is concerned that is a particularly important point, because it is more especially in tropical Africa that all these blood- sucking insects exist.

SIR ELLIOT LEWIS: The more information we can get the better we shall be pleased. At the present time we have rather a stringent quarantine against any- thing going out from India.

SIR NEWTON MOORE: Might I suggest that, instead of the resolution which the Premier of New South Wales has proposed, he should make a proposal that the outline given in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this scheme meet with the approval of the Conference?

MR. MCGOWEN: I thought of that, but a gentleman here offered me a proposal and asked me whether I would propose something of this sort. I have been trying I will submit this altered proposition: "That to alter it, and I have altered it now. this meeting is of opinion that the proposal to obtain and disseminate information of a scientific and useful nature tending to prevent the spread of pests and diseases to the various States and Dominions of the Empire would be highly advantageous, and that steps should be taken to obtain the adhesion of the Dominions which are not represented here to-day." The High Commissioner for New Zealand says that he would leave the latter part of the clause out.

SIR WILLIAM HÄLL JONES: I would say "Obtain the adhesion of the Dominions interested."

MR. MCGOWEN: I will leave that part out, so that it would read highly advantageous, and that steps should be taken to obtain the adhesion of the Dominions and States interested. I wanted to omit "disease "because that would

in restrict it; but you might be able to find out something that would help us, your researches into these things, with regard to the cattle.

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LORD LUCAS: I would like to find some words that would cover agri- culture," and that would not technically have anything to do with cattle.

SIR NEWTON MOORE: If we are going into the question of diseases we are going to open a very big question indeed. For instance, you will have surra in India. I think you had better confine yourself to insect pests that affect plant life.

LORD CROMER: This paper that has been circulated confines itself to insect pests.

SIR ELLIOT LEWIS: I do not think the resolution that has been moved quite goes far enough. It does not say that the Dominions and States will restrict the giving of information to the Central Committee.

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LORD CROMER: The Central Committee desires to have the information. Diseases "is the word, is it not?

SIR ELLIOT LEWIS: I would rather Mr. McGowen accepted paragraphs 2 and 3 of this paper that is before us.

MR. MALÁN: That does not cover the point, because the point, limiting it to plant diseases is in paragraph 1.

LORD CROMER: I think this meeting was confined practically to questions relating to the diseases of agriculture and horticulture, and that does not bring in human beings.

LORD LUCAS: What does the word “ agriculture" cover? MR. MIDDLETON: It covers all cattle diseases.

LORD CROMER: This resolution seems to be all right now; will you allow me to read it to you? That this meeting is of opinion that the proposal to obtain and disseminate information of a scientific and useful nature tending to prevent the spread of pests and diseases in agriculture and horticulture to the various States and Dominions of the Empire would be highly advantageous, and that steps should be taken to obtain the adhesion of the Dominions which are interested." "I think that really covers the whole ground.

MR. MALAN: "Agriculture "is a very wide term. Certainly, as it stands

it would include animal diseases also.

LORD LUCAS: Are you against it including that?

MR. MALAN: I do not think that the two things really go together. I think the Committee would do more efficient work if it dealt with plant diseases and left the animal diseases to the Veterinary Department. We, in the Union of South Africa, have got two Acts now dealing with agricultural diseases; the one deals

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