The Battle Of
p. 61 · Read in the full issue
[?]rmer and [?]G Cattle
The Bulls
N early November, half-a-dozen bulls arrived at Mr. Mick Leahy’s property at Zenag, New Guinea, nd so ended successfully (as it appened) a deal with the local epartment of Agriculture that had rst got moving in late July.
All affairs move slowly in the erritory, but Mr. Leahy’s experi ice—and it is by no means unique ■probably shows why, although -NG may have a cattle industry ime day, it will not have it soon.
Introduction of high-grade live Dck into the Territory is part of Ad inistration policy. Not only do the [[ministration agricultural stations iport pedigree stock for breeding, it a subsidy of about £3O per head ill be paid individual farmers on iproved stock for approved pro irties imported from Australia.
The latter scheme is a good one but the limiting factor is the lack the class of shipping which will ,rry herds of cattle. That is what r. Leahy found earlier this year, lyway, when he attempted to take [vantage of the drought conditions ■evading in New South Wales. Any nount of good cattle was available; it the shipping was not.
After he had returned to the srritory about the end of July he rote explaining his difficulty to the epartment of Agriculture and ask g if he could hire or purchase ilf-a-dozen bulls from the Erap pucultural Station, which is about miles from Lae.
Considerable correspondence en ed between Port Moresby and •ap, and Leahy and several points Port Moresby; presumably there ere negotiations direct between ;ahy and Erap.
Hiring bulls was out; and with re ,rd to purchase there were evidently nflicting opinions as between the veral officers now involved as to lether there were any animals sur us to Administration requirements.
On September 9, Mr. Leahy was [vised that there would be a mob Shorthorn bulls at the Three ile, Lae, from which he could ake a selection. These were im >rted, registered bulls costing up 500 guineas—but he was told that > could have them for prices rang g from £l7O to £325.
Leahy refused these bargain limals, however. He found that one id only half his genital organs; ree were diseased and were later iot; one was blind; and the other tree in poor condition.
In late September an officer of ie Department was sent over from
Port Moresby and at Erap—where Mr. Leahy had first become in terested in some animals in July -30 bulls were mustered. On October 3, Mr. Leahy finally received a letter advising him that he might select eight bulls from the herd there The obvious purpose of Adminis tration live-stock stations is to im prove animal herds in the Territory by making well-bred beasts avail able to European and native farmers But although these stations have been functioning for a considerable time, cattle seem neither cheaper nor more plentiful.
It is estimated that in the last four or five years, about 30 registered bulls have been running with up to 300 cows at Erap. In the normal course of events there should now be some hundreds of progeny (on Australian dairy farms one bull to 30 cows is considered adequate), available for sale at considerably lower prices than imported stock.
But evidently this is not so.
What has happened to the progeny at Erap? Perhaps some of them have been eaten, but it sounds like expensive ration meat.
It took Mr. Leahy three months to accomplish something which one would reasonably expect to be a simple business deal between a Gov ernment department and the farmer it is designed to help, but at least he got his animals, which is more than most Territorians have man aged to do. ( PIM, August, p. 152).
Now that he has his bulls home on his own range he is satisfied enough—although he still would, no doubt, like to know who spent good Government money on that bull with half its vital parts missing. t Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, of Fiji, has been unwell of late; and, on No vember 22, he was unable to act as Speaker of the Legislative Council, when the Council opened its Budget session.