SHEEP STEALING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 149, 28 June 1929, Page 6

SHEEP STEALING

.PROTECTIVE PEOPOSAL

,W qE *^ l n Ne,w. Zealand thefts of sheep by night -&re reported ' from various districts; and several methods are adopted. One i s to load sheep from .paddocks on to motor-lorries and c,Z vey them many miles, and another is to open a gate and allow sheep in the paddock to join a mob being driven along a road. The subject was ventilated at the annual conference, of the Koyal Agricultural Society on Wednesday. The following remit from Poverty /' ??Z Ed by Mr- P- J- Roberts, was submitted: ; "That, in order sheep stealing, the Stock Act bo'amended to make it compulsory for. all drovers and lorry-drivers in charge of: stock on the public roads to carry a certificate trom the person. who delivered such stock with the number and description, the certificate to be produced on demand by the police, stock inspectors or a Justice of the.Peace." The mover said that he himself had been a victim, and another faj-iner in the district had suffered. Sometimes when sheep were being driven along the road an unscrupulous drover would open a handy gate and sheep wcire added to the mob. The required number were delivered and the surplus sold. Mr. J. M'Farland (Canterbury) quoted cases of thefts with the aid of a motor-lorry, and said that recently one man was caught red-handed. If private owners wanted to shift sheop by night it would be to their own advantage to notify thb police that they were coin? to do so. ; b ..; _ Mr. Eoberts: "What we want is the right to hold up a drover or a lorryi driver." - ; Mr. J. Talbot (South Canterbury) said he thought the remit did not go far enough. In his .(district-it was felt that shifting sheep after dark should bo stopped. Mr. M. E. Lyons (Canterbury) said that it was becoming a common practice in the South to use, lorries to convey fat sheep to the works. Sometimes a start wai-made at 2/a.m. and several trips wpttld ,be! made'i during the day. The scheme proposed was a good one if it could be carried out, but too: many" restrictions should not be placed on farmers. The president (Mr. W. Perry) Mauawatu), expressed the opinion that the idea_ of the use of certificates was feasible, and a proper form for Dominion use could bo made out. It would be to the advantage of farmers to adopt it, _but he did not think notification of intention to move sheep was practicable. ■ ' i The remit was adopted.