POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7292, 23 November 1910, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

LIYE STOCK BEANDS REPORT ON UNIFORM EARMARKING. NINE ESSENTIAL POINTS. , The committee of pastoralists appointed by the Department of Agriculture to report on a system of distinguishing between the live stock of different owners, with a view to the adoption of a uniform system throughout New Zealand, has presented its report to Parliament, and it was laid on the table of the House yesterday.. The committee, which consisted of Messrs D. D. Macfarla.no (chairman), W. Hay, Walter Macfarlane, ~J. G. Rutherford and James Wilson, has not com© to any hard and fast recommendation, but its report is of interest. The committee is of opinion, the report states, that there are several essentials for a proper system of earmarks suitable to New Zealand, namely: 1. That it must as little as possible interfere with the earmarks at present in use.

2. That the registered mark should be oh the near ear only, and any further marking on such ear should be prohibited, the off ear being available for the owner's age, sex or sale mark.

3. That simplicity is .absolutely necessary, and the pliers used to make the registering earmark should not have more than two bits, and .preferably that only one pair of pliers should be used. 4. That any earmark when registered and allotted, to an applicant should have its dimensions specified by the registrar. 5. That the branding districts should, for the of registration, be divided into sub-districts containing no greater number of owners than 750. 6. That to allow for an increase of owners in any sub-district, any scheme should provide for at least 1500 different earmarks.

7. That in the case of owners living near a district boundary, the necessary steps should be taken to ensure that no other owners residing in an adjacent district same boundary should be allotted a similar earmark. 8. That the use of the knife in earmarking sheep should be prohibited. 9. That it should be compulsory that every owner should register an earmark. “ The committee has carefully examined the whole of fifty-seven schemes placed before it,” the report adds, " and does not consider that any of them comply with the essentials named. Many of them showed a good deal of ingenuity,: but they ran more in the direction of providing for numerically earmarking sheep than supplying a simple and distinct mark which would not grow up or become obliterated, and the committee thinks that an effort should be made to find the largest number of marks that can be mad© by pliers which could remain distinct during the sheep's life and yet be easy of application. A mlmber of these schemes provided for labels and studs being put into sheep's ears, but whilst suitable for stud sheep, the

committee did not think it would bo possible to adopt such a scheme foi eaimarking the-sheep of the Dominion. The same applies to the suggested burning or branding a mark on the sheep’s face. "The committee thinks that the department should take slops to adopt a scheme on the lines suggested as essentials.” Tho report continues : The registration of tho lettering on ear labels was considered, and it is recommended that when any amendment of tho Stock Act is made it should bo permissible for any owner desiring to | register a label to do so. As there has been a generally expressed desire to permit the registration of wool bale brands, the report concludes. tho committee, at the request of the Minister, has considered this subject and thinks that tho Patent, Designs and Trade Marks Act might bo amended so as to render permissible the registration specially of any wool bale brand which is the name of a place, farm or station. NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT What is known familiarly as the native waslung-up Bill has been introduced by Governor's message and read a first time. It contains a largo number of clauses empowering the reopening of various native land and succession cases which have been the subject of petition, and authorises tho Public Trustee to survey, sulMlivido and lay off roads on native reserves vested in him, the cost of tills work to bo advanced out of the common fund of tho Public Trust Office, and to be a first charge on the land. WESTLAND iND NELSON NATIVE EESEEVES Tho Westland, and Nelson Native Reserves Amendment Bill provides that where on the expiration of a leas© the valuation of land or improvements cannot bo agreed on by the lessee and Public Trustee it shall be taken to be that on the district valuation roll, and the rent payable shall bo 5 per cent, on the un-improve-a value of the land. In the case of land leased for religious and educational purposes the leases are validated, but will be cancelled in two years. In the interval, however, the lessees may purchase the fee simple, at a price not less than tho unimproved value on tho valuation roll if tho land is to continue to be used for religious and educational purposes. Power is given to sell, with the consent of the beneficiaries, the Greymouth nativo reserve of 500 acres, full provision being made for ascertaining the consent of the beneficiaries. The moneys received will be. invested and the proceeds used as in the case of rents from the reserve.

MANAWATU LINE DEVIATION Inquiry is being mad© by Mr Field whether the Government is giving eerious consideration, as suggested by some Wellington newspapers, to a duplication of the Manawatu line, by a deviation of the Hutt line, near Petone, joining the Manarr' a l' u near Tawa Flat, by way of the Jakapu Valley; and whether, before coming to Q- final decision, lio ivi II consider another stigsrested route by ivay of Pahautonui, joining: the Manawatu lino at Waxnui just north of Paefcakoriki. THE TRAMWAYS BILL Anxious regarding the fate of Tramways Bill, Mr F. M. B. Fisher asKcd the Minister for Public Works ‘yesterday to separate it into two parts, so that the contentious matter in the measure could be postponed, and those portions adopted which were highly desirable from the employees' point of view. The lion R. McKenzie replied that he differed from Sir Fisher, regarding the Bill as a certainty to pass. If the member for Wellington Central, whoso vote he had hoped to get on the Bill, wished to postpone portions of it, he had. better get the co-opemtion of the House. (Laughter). GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS LAW The second amendment ‘ of the Government Railways Act, introduced this session by the Hon. J. A. Millar, provides for a number of revisions of the law without introducing important changes. A fine not exceeding .£SO is proposed to be inflicted, on every person who makes a false statement in any consignment note or waybill, and the Bill proposes to empower the charging of double the amount of freight of which the Bailway Department might have been deprived, whether the misdescription is wilful or nets Unused railway lands may be ■ leased •by the Minister by public tender for a period not exceeding twenty-on© yeans, the lessee's right to his improvements being secured by a provision that if the lease is transferred at the end of the term, the incoming Jesse© shall pay thd value c.f the improvements as fixed by the Minister. Grant of easements over * ■ railways shall be subject to the Min-; aster's approval. Power is proposed to be given to the Minister to grant leave of absence to railway Gimpioyeos for such periods as are specified in the regulations. This clause is in substitution of one which states that at least one week's continuous leave dhall bo granted annually. Tho law providing a minimum wag© of .£l3O per annum for every member of the service who is married or a widower with a child or children, is to be modified by adding tho qualification ‘'Under the ago of fourteen years dependent on and residing -with or supported by him." On the Minister's recommendation, the Governor-in-Council may fix the amount of salary to b© paid to any officer within the limits of the grade in which he is placed, and tho amount shall be paid without annual increment. THE ÜBIQUITOUS SMELL Mr T, E. Taylor made his fellow legislators laugh heartily yesterday over his impression of the leading features of a very unfamiliar thing to him, the hotel. He urged the House to so amend the law as to - force, not only hotel employees, but tho licensees to take a half-holiday every week. ‘'They should do so," he said, ‘'even if only to get out \ of tho smell of the cooking and the bar, which permeates every room and even gets into the portmanteau." v DISSATISFIED RAROTONGANS A petition, from 1130 natives of Rarotonga (Cook Islands) has been presented by Mr R. A. Wright, urging the Government to replace Dr Che&son, the resident medical officer, by his- predecessor. Dr Dawson. Tho petitioners allege that Dr Dawson resigned because he was not granted certain things wanted for his erivate residence, and they want Dr. awson again because, in the words of tho petition, "There is a very bad sickness hero now, and very few of the sick people went to the "hospital because people do not like Dr Chesson’s manners or the way h© treats us/' Sir Joseph Ward, when the petition was presented, asked what a committee could do with it when it could not get witnesses in New Zealand. Mr Massey: That's no reason why we should not accept the petition. Mr Speaker held that it would be for the committee to report to that effect if it could not get evidence. The petition was referred to the Native Afiaiis Committee.

There arc 117 inmates in the Guildford Workhouse over 70 years of age.