MP protests at insinuation that disease had come from NI cattle

Sir William said he would be “a very poor class of Irishman” if he did not rise in the Commons to protest against the insinuations against Irish cattle. “They were absolutely false,” he said.

Speaking in the House Sir William said: “In the House and in the country there is a feeling that the expenditure under discussion was largely attributable to the disease having been brought into England by Irish cattle.”

Indeed he noted that Mr E G Pretyman, MP for Chelmsford, had made the observation: “The outbreak was spread entirely by the herds of Irish cattle, which were distributed from Newcastle and Gateshead markets. Not one of these cattle introduced the disease into this country. They came into this country free from it. They went into the markets, and picked the disease there, and spread it from one end of the country to the other.”

Sir William continued: “Now we have had a great many more cattle slaughtered in England than ever before. English veterinary surgeons have gone to my part of Ireland and they have found that there was no disease there.

“If the late Minister of Agriculture had extended the regulations in England, as Ulster members had asked, there would have been very little trouble in England. It would remembered that provision was made for six days’ detention at the port of entry or at the farm which cattle were taken from.”

He added: “Had it been done in 1922 a great deal of this expenditure would have been saved. So far as the Diseases of Animals Act is concerned it is still a reserved service between England and Northern Ireland. English inspectors are at liberty at any time to go over and make what inspections they pleased.”

Prisoner charged with ‘uttering worthless cheque’

During this week in 1924 the News Letter reported that the sequel to the sale of two cattle in Moy Fair in 1923 was heard Dungannon.

The case was heard before Mr D G Kennedy, JP, when Patrick McKenna, Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh was charged with having on January 5, 1923, obtained two head 
of cattle from Mr Charles Laverty, Cabra, Donaghmore, by “uttering a worthless cheque for £13”.

Mr B Hoy, solicitor, appeared for Laverty, who stated that he had sold the accused two head of cattle for £13.

McKenna had paid with a cheque drawn the Bank of Ireland the court was told.

The witness presented the cheque and told how he had now ascertained that the defendant had no account in the Bank of Ireland in Clones, Co Monaghan.

Sergeant Dunne, RUC, Dungannon, stated that when arrested the prisoner said: “I was recommended for a £300 overdraft in the bank. The man who recommended found out I was not doing well and told the bank not to pay any more cheques. That is all I have to say only that I will pay all up if I get time.”

The accused was remanded in custody.