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1.—5

It may be of some use if I describe my method of mixing the lime and sulphur. Instead of mixing the lime and sulphur in the old-fashioned way, by boiling them together, I first put the lime into a tank of water, thoroughly stirred and mixed it, and as soon as the water became clear it was run into the boiler, and when the boiling point was reached the sulphur (moistened) was put in. In five minutes the whole of the sulphur was dissolved and the dip fit for use. The advantages of this system are: first, that by having a saturated solution of lime you insure the complete dissolving of the sulphur; and, secondly, there is a great saving of time and fuel by the absence of sediment in the bottom of the boiler. I have, &c, W. K. Chambers.

Wednesday, 10th September, 1884. Mr. W. A. Low, examined. 252. Hon. the Chairman.] You are, Mr. Low, in a position to give evidence in regard to the working of the Sheep Act ?—Yes. 253. Where do you reside ?—At the St. Helen's Station, in the Amuri country. 254. Is that the Waiau?—lt is the southern part of the Province of Nelson, next to Canterbury. 255. In this return there are two districts, or rather one district divided into two districts ? — The district is known as the Amuri Subdivision of the Marlborough District. It comprises the southern portion of Nelson to the Waiau Biver. 256. What extent is your run?— About a quarter of a million acres; mostly Crown land. 257. Have you any diseased sheep in your flock ?—No. 258. Are there any in the neighbourhood ? —Every run in Amuri has now got a clean certificate. I bought my run about seven years ago. The whole of the sheep were then scabby. They are now clean, and have been so for the last two or three years. 259. Who is the Inspector in your district?— Mr. Clifton is Inspector, unless he has been replaced by Mr. Cook. 260. I thought there was a Mr. Foster? —Mr. Foster is what is called "Inspector in charge." This is a term unknown to the Act, but we have a local sub-Inspector. Then there is the Superintending Inspector, Mr. Bayly. There is then the Secretary to the Colonial Secretary, Mr."Cooper, who, I understand, is practically chief of the department. 260 a. Mr. George Cooper ?—Mr. George Cooper. 261. Have you any knowledge of the adjoining districts?—l have a run —a portion of my property —which is in Marlborough. It adjoins a run that has been scabby up to a very few months ago. 262. There is a great deal of scab in that district, I believe ? —No. There is none in the Amuri. In the Marlborough County there is scab. The Amuri is the only subdivision that is clean. 263. Can you say how the Act has worked in these districts ?—Last year (1883) certificates were granted by the department to the station which joins mine on the north; also to the Molesworth Station, which joins me on the north-east. The Molesworth Station is in Marlborough County. The certificate was granted to Tarndale on the 26th of May. On the 28th May, the Tarndale shepherds began to kill scabby sheep. This came to the ears of the then local Inspector, Mr. Scaife, who paid a visit to the station, and the manager admitted he had killed some scabbysheep. The local Inspector communicated the fact to the Inspector in charge, Mr. Foster. Both, I think, represented the matter by telegraph to the Superintending Inspector, Mr. Bayly. They wanted to know whether, in the circumstances in which these sheep had been killed, the run should be declared an infected run. Mr. Bayly, I was told, was absent for about two months travelling about the country. The local Inspector could get no reply in respect to this run during all that time. In the meantime none of the neighbours had been advised that scabby sheep had been killed on this run. We were all living in ignorance of the danger to which our flocks w-ere exposed. On the 24th of August, I think, and nearly three months after the Inspector discovered that this man had been killing scabby sheep, a muster was made, and they found one other scabby sheep. It was then notified that scab was in the run. The manager was had up. 264. Who did you say granted the certificate ?—The local Inspector. 265. Hon. Sir G. S. Wldtmore.] What might be the name of the local Inspector?— Mr. Scaife ; he has, I believe, left the service. 266. Where was the conviction?—At Waiau. 267. Before the Besident Magistrate?— Before the Besident Magistrate. 268. Could you say where these sheep came from?— They were found on a portion of the Tarndale Statiou. 269. Were they wild sheep, or sheep not in the muster?— They were stragglers that had been left out. The Inspector told me that the Tarndale shepherds suspected there might be some scabby s.heep in that part of the country. They found, I think, twenty or twenty-five ; when the Inspector made a muster again, in the end of August, there was one. The certificate was cancelled. A similar experience took place as regards the Molesworth Station. A certificate was granted, and sheep were afterwards found to be scabby. For a long time no one knew anything of it. When the manager was prosecuted he was fined £25 in one case, and £5 in the other, for allowing these scabby sheep to stray. The scab was discovered very shortly after the certificates were obtained; and proper notice of this was not sent to me;' and this I reported to the department, but there was no prosecution. 270. Mr. Lance.) They got the certificates within the time prescribed by the Act?— Yes. 271. Hon. B. Campbell.) And almost immediately afterwards scab appeared?— Yes; scab appeared.