SHEEP-STEALING IN SOUTH

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28257, 20 April 1957, Page 13

SHEEP-STEALING IN SOUTH

Police And Farmers May Confer (New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, April 19. Superintendent W. S. Brown, chief of police for the Dunedin district, said he believed a conference between Federated Farmers and police officers over the widespread sheep-stealing in South Otago would be beneficial. The number of sheep allegedly stolen over the last year was “indefinite,” he said. Two detectives had been permanently assigned to investigating complaints of sheep-stealing, which were now coming from many quarters. A Paretai farmer confirmed today that he is short of 100 ewes, and these, presumably, had been stolen, he said. Another farmer said that if this was the case the thieves were becoming more daring in their raids, for Paretai was a comparatively closely-settled area. Superintendent Brown said investigations were being hampered considerably by farmers not keeping complete records of their sheep. If a conference could be called a lot of good would be done in this direction. Two weeks ago the Milton branch of Federated Farmers passed a remit that the meat and wool section should approach the police for a conference on sheepstealing. \