SPECIAL SALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2082, 18 January 1894, Page 11

SPECIAL SALES.

January 20.— Farmers' Agency Company, atWeddorburn; first Maniototo annual surplus stock

January 23 — R. F. Inder, at Hyde, clearing sale. StronaTh Bros, and Morris, 5500 acres of good sheep country run 50 miles from Dunedm Mutual Agency Company, store and stud sheep.. Oarswelland Company, Invercargill, properties in R S °Vibo a n and Company, Romarua estate, 17,000

ByTendeTxmtii r ja 3n3 nu ary2s,toßeida ry2s,toßeid and Gray, Kenton eßtate, 537 acres, near Oaniaru 7600 acres at Middleman* ; 622 acres at Hindon. Bates Sise. and Co. have for sale farm at iSrafct of IS2B acres; and also dairy farm in sSKSteliofthrieason are arranged by Wrißht, Stephenson, and Co. to take place AtLeffi Ylrdß. Blacks-Tuesday, February 6, At M SSSSf'ffiSf Wbum-Wednesday, February 7, and Wednesday, March 7 At cSoate Maisey's) Yards. Kyebum-Thurs-d*v February 8, and Thursday, March 8 At Mr C?B Hay's Deepdell Yards, Macraes, on Friday, March 9.

The Southland County Council has passed an extremely laudable by-law which compels any person riding a velocipede to stop, dismount, and remove his machine to the side of the road when he meets anyone with a horse. Any one who has travelled in the mountainous districts of the interior of Otago, where the roads are often on the sides of precipitous hiUs, will know that even an umbrella in the hands of an incautious or uncouth traveller may cause an accident. Most velocipede riders, however, are made of more gentle metal, and on the slightest signs of disturbance make themselves and their machines as nearly invisible as possible. Gentlemen always do this; this by-law is evidently for these who are not. On the 26th inst. Messrs Wright, StephenBon, and Co. will submit .for sale a draft of Bfaeep from Islay station, near Mataura, Southland. These sheep can be recommended from their merits, and I am glad to note that more confidence is being displayed by purchasers than seemed probable when writing last. A previous note has notified that stores at Addingtion last week realised 14s 6d, and I have since been informed that Mr Cuningham Smith passed a large lot through his hands in South Canterbury at 13s 3d. But merinos continue unaccountably low in price. The exceedingly unsatisfactory nature of the

compulsory clauses of the Rabbit Act was shown at Wyndham on the 10th inst., when several persons were ■ fined for not taking sufficient steps to destroy the pest in the opinion of the inspector. Mr W. P. Smith, whom none of his neighbours would probably accuse of being negligent, was adjudged to have been guilty of not having taken sufficient precautions, and wag fined in the lowest penalty of £1 and costs, at the special request of the inspector, who was asked by the R.M. to withdraw the charge. A settler named Young, in the same district, was also fined 23s and costs on the same day. The peculiar circumstances of these cases were that the R.M. (Mr Rawson) took occasion to draw the attention of tho de-

fendants to the sttingent clauses of the act, which left him no option, and a second offence made them liable to a line of nob less than £5. Even in cases in a city where contagious disease was suspected, the law would require at all events reasonable proof of negligence, or at least of the existence of disease, but in the case of the Rabbit Act, no matter what a farmer may do— and which he will almost invariably do in his own defence — if the inspector rides over his land, and sees any rabbits, that is prima facie evidence of neglect. Farmers are made presumably felons because they have been afflicted with the rabbit plague.