THE SCAB INSPECTOR'S REPORT.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1605, 7 February 1873, Page 3

THE SCAB INSPECTOR'S REPORT.

To the Editor of the Colonist. Sib, —The reason I trouble you this time for a corner in your paper is that tha Report of the Chief Inspector of Sheep for the Province contains several inaccuracies. I observe that lam included in the list of those whose " difficulties are principally imaginary," and therefore I should like to let his Honor the Superintendent and the public know the truth of the matter. In the fh?3t paragraph of his report he Bays :—"lt gives him much, gratification to announce that all those districts in which the ninth and tenth clauses of the Scab Act are in operation are free from scab." Now, as I have just arrived from the Arauri, and have seen several of the flocks in that portion of the district said to be free from scab and clean for three years, I am in a position toassert positively, and toprove, if necessary, that with one or two exceptions not oneof them is clean, and very few have held certificates for their whole flock for ir.ore than six months togel her, and they dip regularly two or three times a year; and I believe it can be proved that there is scarcely a flock on the Tamdale side of Waiau-ua from which sheep infected with scab have not been taken within half the time:, stated by the Inspector ; and his statement" that the' portion of the district which is not pioolaimed under the ninth and tenth clauses has occasioned a verious amount of expense and trouble" is really a stretch of imagination. Let me ask the Inspector if it is not imaginary on his part when he slata3 that hehas visited all the sheeo districts in the Province within or duriny the last six months ? Km he seen half the flocks in the Province? '.„ As I am only answering for myself, I positively assert that I have neither seen nor heard of him visiting my stations, the Lake run and Tarndale, so that part of hia statement will require considerable explanation. It is very easy' for tho Inspector,to write his report in its present form, but I defy him to prove his statements with; reference to that part of the country through which I have travelled within the lust month, that is Tarndale side of the Waiau-ua, and should his Honor wish to know who is right in the matter, I am prepared to give him all the necessary information to substantiate what I havo written. I can likewise tell him, if he wishes to know, what has caused all the dieturbance about the Scab Act lately, but I should prefer to do it personally, as it would take, up more room than you would care to give me to write it all. Lastly, Ido assert that,the difficulties in the way of cleaning sheep in the Tarndale country are,i not imaginary, for these reasons . — | 1. There is no cart-road to Tarndale. 2.'No wood for fencing, very little for firewood, and everything ha 9to be packed to the station; the roads are worse this year than they have ever been, in fact if I had not kept the road open at my own expense the traffic on the Main South Road would have been stopped altogether. \ I have often told Mr. Lightfoot that the road was in a dangerous state, I have also told Mr. Greenfield the same thing, and the road at the present time is neither safe for man nor beast, that is in parts from the entrance of the bush in the Q-orge beyond the1 Top House to Jollie'a Pass, nor has the road from Top House to Tarndale been seen this year, neither has the road from Tarndale been repaired for years. I am going up the country to-morrow and'shall not be back for a few weeks, and I hope the Inspector will see the necessity of correcting his report, and going over the country he imagines he has been over before I coni6 back, and if he wants any explanation I Bhall he very glad to give it. I am, &0., John Kebe. Waimea West, February 4,1873.