THE STUD BILL

Otago Witness, Issue 2529, 3 September 1902, Page 27

THE STUD BILL

During the discussion on the Stud Bill this afternoon Mr Massey severely attacked the measure. He said' according to the bill a great proportion of the stud horses in the colony wero unsound. He read a telegram from Mr Thomas Morrin, one of the moet successful breeders of thoroughbred horses in the Australasian colonies, condemnatory of the bill. Mr Morrin pointed out that famous horses like Musket, with accidental and not hereditary blemishes, would be thrown out by this bill, while other less valuable sires would be passed. The Hon. Mr Duncan said it was not true to rtate that 50 per cent, of the entire horses of the colony were unsound. That was too sweeping a charge to make. Mr Maesey: I believe it is correct. Mr Duncan : I don't believe it is correct. They may be unsound for pacing work, or for the purposes of hacks, and yet have no hereditary disease. Nevertheless such horses would be nil right for stud purposes. Mr Henries : But your bill knocks these out. Mr Duncan eaid the Auckland members wanted to take charge of the Stock Committee aa a whole and run it. — (Laughter.) Until there waa an alteration in the committee he did not think bills referred to it would get proper consideration. A horse might have a swollen leg or some such blemish as the result of accident, but would be eound for 6t-ud purposes. Mr Massey: But your bill allows these to be prohibited. Mr Bollard said there were some horses in the colony which, though not, strictly speaking, soundhad proved themselves most valuable and profitable animals. What, he aeked, m* to become of them. He maintained that if the bill had been passed in its present «tat« there would have been an outcry from one end of the colony to the other. Mr Meredith thought the New Zealand horees would compare favourably with those in any other part of the world. Ho did not agree with Mr Massey as to tho effect of the bill, whioh would, he was confident, be the means of geediu* o.ut thi undesirable |£&B£}jf fc|&

relegating them to the plough. Mr Stevens contended that the bill would not affect a single stud horse in the colony, but it was needed as a safeguard in the future. After talking over the matter for an hour the bill was deferred till next session.-