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RAG IMPORTATION
A serious nuisance and potential danger has arisen in regard to
the importation of old clothing for the manufacture of flock.
Many countries overseas demand a health certificate before they
will allow the importation of mutton cloths, clothing or other manufactured
factured commodities. Recently, bales of rags have been imported
from Holland unaccompanied by any certificate that they had undergone
gone any process of cleansing or disinfection.
The Inter-Departmental Committee on the Rag Flock Acts in
1946 noted that such imported bales had been found to contain,
amongst other things, used surgical dressings. A recent consignment,
when examined, was found to contain active larvae and to be contaminated
taminated with what appeared to be cattle dung. In view of this,
the matter was reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
as it was considered that a potential source of foot and mouth
disease existed. The matter was considered by them to be of no
concern. It is doubtful if a farmer who had lost his herd of cattle
from this disease would have felt so unconcerned. The Ministry
of Health appeared to be equally unconcerned about the possible
importation of typhus or smallpox by this means, despite the fact
that eminent bacteriologists have shown that clothing can remain a
source of infection for at least a year !
It appears that legislation has been made to cover flock and all
the products that are subsequently filled with flock but no acts or
regulations control the importation of rags or in any way stipulate
that materials imported must be free from infection.
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