THE STOCK BILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2009, 25 August 1892, Page 8

THE STOCK BILL.

The Stock Bill just introduced by the Minister for Lands is an attempt, and apparently a very successful one, to consolidate the various measures on the Statute Book dealing with, this subject, and to incorporate with them a number of provisions which at present are in need of elucidation, as well as to improve the administrative machinery. The Acts which will be repealed by it are ''The Brands and Branding Act 1880," "The Diseased Cattle Act 1881," "The Cattle Act 1590," and "The Sheep Act 1890." As is very proper, the Bill has been submitted to the consideration of experts, and accordingly on Friday it was carefully analysed by the executive of tho Farmers' Union. It does credit to the framer of the Bill, who we may suppose is Mr ErrcniK, the new head of the Stock department, that the critics found so little to amend, as what suggestions they did make refer merely to matters of detail. Tho nature of these, as well as of the other business done by the executive, will be found in a circular which has been drawn vi), lln( l which will in due course come before those interested — as for instance farmers' clubs, &c. The executive apparently found nothing . to amend until they came to clause 43, which provides that if an inspector is satisfied that any sheep in a flock are affected with vermin, he may give the owner notice to dip the flock under a penalty of not less than £5 nor more than .£SO. .To this was added the suggestion that the dipping of long-woolled and crossbred sheep shall be compulsory before the 30th of April in each year. The executive are thus, it seems, desirous of making the law more stringent — of making it preventive as well as punitive. We have observed from our country exchanges that during the recent activity in the sheep market prosecutions for being in possession of sheep infested with vermin were unusually numerous, and in one case a settler was prosecuted who had hardly possessed the sheep an hour, having been pounced upon by the inspector on his way home from the saleyards. Such a glaring want of discretion on the part of the inspector was very properly condemned by the Bench. But some discretionary power must be vested in an inspector. In the particular clause now referred to, the discretion is given to the inspector to postpone issuing the order for a month on being satisfied that the sheep are intended and fit for slaughter. Again, with regard to section 50 of the Bill, which provides for the driving of stock only in day time, the executive.desire a distinction to be drawn between fenced and unfenced roads. They would also deny the majority of the owners of sheep in a given district the power to exempt tho district from the obligation to wool-brand the sheep. They also object strongly to the proposed abolition of private earmarks. They say that such private marks are absolutely necessary. In this connection Aye would suggest that some inquiry might be made into a suggestion which appeared in the Otago Witness some few weeks ago to the effect that a brand which is there descz'ibed, and which is susceptible of almost innumerable combinations, might be employed with advantage. The desire of the department is to avoid confusion, and that of owners to be able to identify and classify their property. Further on the Bill makes a special provision to the effect that on the petition of a majority of owners in a district the use of a punch or nippers shall be compulsory, and the mark so made in the ear the only legal brand. The executive take strong exception to this, but if all owners share their opinion the special provision will remain a dead letter, since its adoption is optional. Stock, as defined in the Bill, includes horses and cattle, and tho special provision in the Bill seems to be for the purpose of lessening the enormous wasto caused by thoughtless flre-brandjng.

These, then, are substantially tho suggestions which the executive have put forward for consideration ; with its fundamental principles they have taken no concern. If it becomes law the almost effete cattle boards will be abolished, and their functions handed over to tho Sheep department, and the funds of that department will be augmented by a tax of 2d per head on all cattle more than 10 owned by any one person. The regulations touching the introduction and spread of contagious diseases are simplified and made uniform, and power is taken to inspect and regulate dairies and slaughterhouses where necessary. The 23111 is very comprehensive, and is to come into force on January 1 if it becomes law, as there seems little doubt it will in the ordinary course of events ; but our Wellington correspondent intimates that an understanding exists that it will be made to come into operation as soon as it shall have passed both Houses.

The executive also passod a resolution agreeing generally with the terms of the circular drawn up by the Farmers' and Country Settlers' League at its meeting at Christchurch on July 13. When that circular was brought under the notice of the House Ministers pooh-poohed it, and said that the organisation was a puppet in the hands "of local members of the Opposition. Now that the Otago Farmers' Union has endorsed the vigorous condemnation of the policy of the Government, it will be difficult for the Government to make good their contention that their policy is acceptable to country settlers and farmers. They cannot question the bona Jules or representative character of the gentlemen who compose the executive of the Farmers' Union, and who have given their adhesion to a series of resolutions unsparing in their condemnation of the whole trend of the Government's policy. We have no doubt that tho farmers' clubs aifiliated to the union will cordially support the action of their executive, and much regret that the condemnation was not expressed at the inception of the proposals.