RAGLAN POUND.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3058, 15 May 1867, Page 6

RAGLAN POUND.

To the Editor of tho fiami N*wjj. Sib, — A3 the Editor of a paper devoted to the ad- , vancementof the agricultural interests of the province, I beg to call your attention to the following facts. Some twelve mouths ago there appeared in your columns a series of letters from Raglan, endeavouring to show that there existed a necessity for the establishment of a " pound." These were followed by a notification in the Gazette that a poundkeeper had been appointed, and describing the site of the pound. Here the matter r§sted for a long time, for, although work was anything rather than plentiful, so obnoxious was the institution that the call for tenders was unheeded. Ultimately, however, a pound was erected as a private speculation, with the following result. On Thursday, May 2, ten head of cattle, the property of a highly respected settler, were driven from Koaroa to the township and impounded for an alleged trespass on »n unenclosed and uncultivated fern patch. As of course there was no claim for damages, the cattle wer« released on paying the pounding fee of 255. , the poundkeeper refusing to receive other fees justly his due. It is not my intention to deicribe the furore of indignation this unneighbourly act called forth. That is a subject to which I have no doubt justice will be done by some of your numerous correspondents, my object in writing being simply to give publicity to this the first v impounding case in Raglan. As there is no copy in this place of the Impounding Act nqw in force, we are in a state of glorious uncertainty as to its provisions ; but if it legalises the impounding of cattle for trespass (?) on unenclosed and uncultivated land, the sooner it \s repealed the better, or a complete stop to all farming operations will be the result. The few head of cattle possessed by small farmers is their chief support, and it is the possession of cattle enables them to remain on their farms. Net having a copy of the Act I refrain from further reference to the subject, trusting that abler pens will ventilate this subject, of such vital interest to the settler. — I have, *c, Kaglan, May 10, 1867. Glkncok Taylor.