CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1084, 3 May 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[Wfilonot hold ourselves responsible for opinion expressed by correspondent*.]

THE OUTBREAK OF PLEURO.

[To the Editor of the Herald.]

Sir, — In Friday's Herald, I observe, you state that Hawke's Bay had been declared an infected cattle district, and express a hope that Poverty Bay will not be equally unfortunate. You have fallen into a not unnatural error in this matter, through confusing "cattle districts" and "infected districts." The whole of the North Island has, if I mistake not, been parcelled out into cattle districts and gazetted, but only one or two small areas in the Waikato have been gazetted as infected districts.

Instead of commiseration, that district which is simply declared a cattle district deserves congratulation, for two reasons. First — It shows that the district is uninfected ; and second — it gives to a responsible local authority the power to quarantine all cattle arriving into the district. As a proof of the advantages attached to the system, I have only to point out that the grazers of Canterbury and Otago are petitioning the Government to declare those provinces cattle districts, in order that they may take effectual precautions against the introduction of pleuro.

I should not have troubled you with this, had I not. found that the ordinarily correct character of the Herald's information has led your statement to be accepted without question throughout this district, and Hawke's Bay may be seriously prejudiced thereby. In conclusion, I would just say thai when a district is brought under the Cattle Act, the exportation of cattle is not interfered with, so long as the district is free from disease — it is only indiscriminate importation which is restricted. To make th c difference between cattle districts and infected districts more clearly understood, I may say that the Diseased Oattle Act and Sheep Act are very much alike in their provisions. A sheep district is just as diflerent from a scab district as a cattle district from an infected district. I am, &c, R. T. Walker. [We feel much obliged to our correspondent for his correction. — Ed.]

It ia said that if you sit down when assailed by a ferocious dog, the animal will nottuch you." This only holds good provided you can sit down on top of a house or a tree, and leave the dog barking below. The animal will get weary of howling and walk away when you [can come down without fear of harm. But if you are as heavy as Senator Davis, a better way would be to ait down on the dog. He would not touch anybody after that.

A very weak tenor in Dublin singing feebly caused one of the gods to Bhout to an acquaintance across the gallery, " Corney, what noise is that 1" "Bedad said "Corney, "I believe ita the gas whistlin'in the pipe."