SHEEP OWNERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1173, 16 November 1880, Page 2

SHEEP OWNERS.

Everything tends to show that the members of Parliament who have hitherto spoken fight shy of dealing with a great source of raising revenue, aud that is the tax on wool. Every ounce of gold that is raised by a miner is taxed in every conceivable way, but not one penny, except^ that which is raised under the Property Assessment Act, which can be evaded in a thousand and oue ways, (Jeals with the squatter and sheep farmer. Why the Government and the House .is' afraid, to deal with this prolific source of taxation is evident. It is that the pastoral interests rule the, country.' Everything else may be taxed — industries, manufactures, mining &c. , but you must not tax the great staple — wool. The sheep returns for the year ending 31at May, 1879, contain some instructive information' respecting the pastoral interests of the Golohy. • In the Waikato district Mr. W. F. Peason, ox Raglan, possesses 12,0C0 sheep, and MryE.'B. Walker, of Cambridge, 2750. In Maraderi the. largest number is 580} on the run of Messrs. Rye and Hull, at Otamatea. At the Bay of Islands, Mr. J. M. Williams, of Parihaka; has 6550, and in the Bay of Plenty district Mr. F. Swindley, of Whakatane, has 45CD. In Hawke's Bay, Mr. Douglas M'Lean, son of the late Sic Donald M'Lean, has 38,324 ; and Rhodes and Co., 52,727. The largest flock in . Wellington district does not" exceed 7C30, the property of Mr. John Davis, of Foxton. At Rahgitikei there, are 14,000 oii the estate of the late W. B. Rhodes, The Hon. John" Martin has 25,000 at Haungafba, while W. and H. Beetham have 46,098 on their run at Braricepeth. The' largest flock in New Plymouth is ,1500.' Major. Atkinson has only 400 at Hulworth ; iri Marlborough, Clifford and Weld have 60,707 in their Flaxbourne run, and there are many other large flocks in the same provincial district. The great wool kings are, however, in Canterbury, where G. H. Moore, of Glenmark, has 90,0C0 ; Ready-M.oney Robinson, of Chevoit .Hills, 67.0C0, while flocks of 20,000 and 30,0C0 are numerous. The New Zealand and Australian Land Company have nearld 200,000 sheep at Pareora and the Levels. In Otago, Dalgety, Nichols T and Co., have 135.593 sheep on one run at Movean Hills. The total number -of sheep owners in the Colony is 5680, and the number of sheep 11,693,911. Why*- should this large amount of property be made to contribute' nothing^to the revenue without any ad equate' 'ifetum?