LICENSING ENTIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8585, 5 June 1891, Page 3

LICENSING ENTIRES.

• TO THK EDITOR.

Sir, —I observe in your issue of this day a letter from Mr. W. W. Phillipps, of Paeroa, on this subject. The matter lias also came under my notice previously, and I am impressed with the necessity of something being; done in this direction, in the interests of horeebrceders and tho public generally; primarily the former. The better this matter is understood and examined by those interested, the less likelihood perhaps will there be of a cumbrous, annoying, expensive, and withal comparatively useless measure being enacted. Hence I ask you to , admit an expression of views in many respects, but not ill their entirely differing from those of the gentleman above referred to. Looking at the matter from a somewhat broader point of view, first of all wo have been far too much addicted to "looking to the Government," and endeavouring to place in their hands matters which we could and should accomplish ourselves, and in many cases in a much more simple and effectual way. Hence this enormously over-jrrown governing machine, so to speak, which we, are suffering from—we are groaning under the most unprecedented and burdensome taxation—not to pay our debts, or there would bo hope of gradual improvement and finality, but to feed this monster referred to as the " Government machine, and it is this looking to the Government to carry out purely local measures which is i responsible iu great part for this burdensome

— ———; —; ,■,„; . ■■; ■'," ■■■ .. ;'~ ty ■ ■"- :■•: state of things. Anything with a tax adhering to it the Government will take up with facility —perhaps submit it in some way to the people themselves, and smile at the readiness with which they fall into the trap! When the kernel is taken out of the measure, or they find they cannot squeeze more out of it, they are apt at shunting it then on to local boards. All that the Government should bs to do in this matter is to pass througTf Parlia- v ment a simple measure empowering local bodies to act for themselves. Defining local scope would be a matter for consideration. but suggesting the Road Boardsj for instance, supposing they are empowering to collect _ a license fee of say £10 for enfirea travelling in the district for hire by the public, no body of men could better see it carried out; it is entirely in their interest that the course should be effective. An examination would have to be made by a ce*Cpetent person as to the soundness and ££*• dom from defects or the animals submiwßa, and the members of the Road Board tfesftiselves would be the best judges as te &bm class of horse they required, and thus iSmy might escape having a horse liceneed for the district which was more or lees unsuited foe : general requirements. ' With regard to the disposal of the license fees, I do not think the proposal to offer the proceeds as prizes'* at agricultural shows would work equitably. Payment would have to be made to a competent examiner, the remainder may be used for the good of the district m one of two ways—and here it should be recognised that the license fees should by no means be expected to com© out of the profits of the horse owners, any more than 0 tire 25 per cent imposed by the Government , through the Customs can come out of the profits of the merchants. This license fee will come indirectly from the community themselves, and it should and would return to them. Seeing that the improvement of horse stock is-the bona fide object of this licensing, the balance may be used for the furtherance of this object, in this way: The members of a Road Board agree to set op a Btandard of what they require to be at the service of the district at a certain fee, this fee being apportioned iu a reasonable way to the points of excellence they stipulate for. j. Now, if an owner of entires offers the service of a horse which possesses points considerably in advance of what they may reasonably expect for the amount of the fee, then hand over to such owner in the form of a bonus the balance of such license fee, and thus superior horses may be at the service of the district without any extra coat, the owner of the entire would find hia account ia the absence of opposition of a class of horses aptly described as weeds. If, on the other hand, the animal offered for license merely or barely reaches the standard of quality they have a right to expect, then use such available balance for the repair of the roads in the district in' which the money ciß raised. „ .Now, supposing this licensing is submitted to Government management, the result will be another addition to the weight of taxation in the shape of inspectors, eub-inspectors, collectors, examiners, and red tape ad infinilum, and the money and the greater partof v its effects lost to the district. Interfering with the liberty of the subject, in all cases, it ia impossible to avoid. Our whole economy of the present dajj is made up of. examples, and it is not necessary to particularise them. However, 1 do not advocate unnecessary interference, and if,ib can be shown that breeders keeping horses for the service of their own mares, bona fide, without any chance of the measures—the necessary and advisable measures—which have been provided being by that means defeated, then I would say that such horses for entirely private service should not be required to be licensed. It is incumbent upon those interested to examine this matter in all its bearings, hi the light of past experience, before coming to a conclusion.—l am, etc., C. T. Wben.