The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 684, 25 April 1879, Page 2

The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1879.

One of the most terrible inflictions, which could fall upon Poverty Bay, at the present time, would be the increase of scab among sheep. We are only too much afraid that such is likely to be the case, through the clauses of the Sheep Act, relating the scab, not having been enforced. Three districts are now known to be infected. It is reported there ai - e five, but, so far as we can learn, nothing has been done towards the eradication of the disease. It is of little use to mince matters, or beat about the bush. Scab m sheep just now, with the low rates ruling for wool, means ruin to the sheep farmer ; and its spread should be gitarded against as we would guard against fever or pestilence m our own persons. If the Sheep Act be not enforced to the letter . and the spirit, then may Poverty Bay " shut up"; for the scab once among our flocks, the melting pot will be the miserable panacea. At the present time, infected sheep are allowed to be driven to the common pounds. When released, they are followed by clean sheep being impounded m the same yards, while no preventive steps have

been adopted, which is simplj^shameful. If scab spreads, the character of the districts will suffer. The runholders, now, for the greater number, hard pressed, will have to pass through the same ordeal that many are now doing. Scab can be prevented by the use of proper curatives. The Act insists that these curatives shall be applied, and of those whose duty it is to see the Act administered, neglect their duty, then they should be made to accept the consequences. A community of sheep farmers, upon which the prosperity of Poverty Bay depends, must not for a moment longer allow personal considerations to weigh m the balance.