MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3179, 6 September 1881, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

The great mortality that has existed this year amongst young sheep lias caused some of the fiockowners of this district (says the Colac Herald) to enquire into the cause of death. It has been ascertained that death is the result of worms, which are to be found in thousands in the throat and lungs. The worms are very small and wiry, and oan only with difficulty be detected. Sheep affected with worms have a slight cough like a bullock affected with pleura. Some large sheep owners are trying turpentino as a remedy. Afc a lafco meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Institute, Dr Buller stated that the sandhills around Wanganui, which previously had caused such damage in drifting, had been successfully fixed by the planting of the common Mezembryanihemwm. At Manawatu, the railway line, which was frequently covered with sand, had been protected by hedges of flax plants. It is reported (says the Castlepoinfc correspondent of the Wairarapa Daily) that a great deal of scab exists among tho wild sheep running on Crown lands in a portion of the district, several badly-infected sheep having been killed recently. A Crown X anger was some time ago appointed, but what special good he is is nofc quite apparent to people here. Many fondly imagined that the wild sheep alluded to would be his particular care, bufc, so far, they are left to propagate scab. The vicinity of the Resident Magistrate's Court, Masterton, is evidently more congenial to the Sheep Inspector and Crown Ranger then the rough scrubby lands adjoining Mataikuna, Pakowai, Grassendale, and other properties. If Mr Inspector Telford's proposal (made some time since), that the Government should employ a practical man to destroy these sheep, had been acted upon, ifc is highly probable that they would not be living to spread the disease among the flocks of sheepowners, who are unfortunate enough to own property

adjacent to lands on ■which they are suffered to depasture. Tho following passage occurs in Sir Julius Vogel's " suppressed " letter. How could tlie Government, with any show of consistency, indulge in such gloomy lucubrations, when it saw its way to exact from its servants a reduction of ten per cent of their incomes ? Tho Civil Servants of New Zealand aro worse paid than in other colonies of equal standing, and have from the beginning been no exceptionally rich class. There is reason to fear they are tlie reverse. If they could live through such taxation, what was to prevent a similar course with other and wealthier classes. Far be it from me to recommend such a tiling, for, as I have already intimated, vexatious taxation at a time of exceptional depression is, to say the least, a mistake. But what excuse 13 there for regarding such depression with such panics'ricken eyes when a comparatively poor section of the community can, in addition to other burdens, bear an income tax of 10 per cent., exacted without the delay which usually follows the imposition of similar .ctxation ? Tho Tenants Fixture Bill provides that tenants may remove fixtures from "he premises of landlords before or at the expiration of tenancy, but must not damage the freehold in any way that money compensation cannot be made. If damage is clone for which compensation can be made, such compensation is to be paid as may be agreed upon between the parties, and if no agreement can be come to, the amount to be ascertained in a Court of competent jurisdiction. Nothing in the Act shall be deemed to tiffed, any case or contract in respect to an v tenancy of any land, tenements, or premises in which any provision may be made respecting tenant fixtures or the right to remove the same. The Act is to come into operation on the Ist January, 1882. The New Zealand Times says that although the attempt to introduce the " cloture " system is bad, the " stonewalling " tactics now adopted by a handful of members in the House is infinitely worse. ' hese tactics are opposed to the opinion of the majority of the Rouse, and yet the rules of the House, as presently constituted, give the majority no power against the obstruction of'the minority. This is a state of affairs which should not be permitted to continue. The Speaker should be invested with power to summarily close up, at his own discretion, the progress of any unintelligent and unprofitable debate. Referring to the amended quarantine regulations, Dr. Philson, medical officer to the Auckland Board of Health, reports :— " It appears to me that in this arrangement, it is assumed that vaccination has the power to countermand or annul tho development of small-pox in a person who has received the infection of that disease already. Now, I believe this to be a manifest absurdity, and directly contrary to all experience, and if the inhabitants of New Zealand suppose that they are hereby protected against the introduction of the pestilence, they may find that they are trusting to a delusion. Should such a calamity as the introduction of the loathsome and fatal disease of small-pox befall the colony, I wish to record the fact that having protested against the new regulations, I shall consider myself exonerated from all blame and responsibility in the matter. The old regulations afford all the security and protection that can be afforded, and in my opinion should still be adhered to, even with greater stringency than before. It must not be overlooked that in the new regulations not a word is said about disinfecting the dirty linen, or personal luggage, of the passengers and crews, where, after all, the principal danger lies." The Auckland Star denounces tbe now regulations as " a perfect farce." The Herald says :—" The Government has been reckless, or it has yielded to the importunity of interested persons, and no one who is aware of the wheel-within-wheels working at Wellington will have a doubt that the Government has consented to leave the colony defenceless, yieldingto a pressure which had been brought to bear on it."