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476. Was the Inspector wrong in his charge that you had scab in your run ?—His charge against us was "that I had n-ot taken reasonable means." 477. Have any other steps been taken against you : has any other information been laid?— Yes; I had an information laid against me the other day, but the case was dismissed. I won the case on a legal point. 478. Section 27 :is that enforced ?—I think we received notice to herd and yard. It was impossible to carry it out. It was stated by Mr. Bayly, the Chief Inspector, that it would be as easy to go to the moon as to-carry it out there. 479. What do you do with your surplus stock ? —I have part running on a clean run ; that is, the run is divided. I have part on two runs. 480. You treat the runs as two ?—Yes, as two. 481. Have you a second homestead?—l intend to have one. 482. How is the one divided from the other?—By fences. 483. Do they make a distinction ?—They gave me a clean certificate for the lower portion. I hoped to have the other homestead up before shearing-time. 484. Do you think they can act upon intentions?— They were forced to give me a clean certificate, as they inspected the sheep. 485. Have you a different wool-shed?—l have only had the certificate since July last. 486. Have you bred from that back portion ?—There are wild rams there. 487. Have you not rams of your own ? —I was only asked to take them out last year. I have not since returned them to the infected run. 488. lion. Captain Fraser.) Are you aware if all the Inspectors of Marlborough had a knowledge of sab previously to their appointments?—l should think that some of them had not, but were drafted directly from the Police Force. 489. Are you of opinion that the Chief Inspector had been remiss in his duty in appointing persons under him who had no knowledge ?—I do not think the selections have been at all happy. I do not think they are good enough men. 490. Mr. d. C. Buckland.) I should be glad to know how many sheep you have clean?— About fifteen hundred. 491. Are you still dipping outside?— Yes. 492. How many times?— Four times, sometimes five times, a year. 493. Are you able to make a pretty clean muster?—We do the best we can-—usually about two-thirds of the sheep. 494. You only dip to get them tolerably clean ? —I always get all I muster perfectly clean. 495. Then, you have no idea of cleaning them absolutely ? —I said before that I do not think the run can be cleaned by ordinary means. 496. Then, you do so in a perfunctory way, to keep the Inspectors pleased ?—I dip my sheep for my own profit; Ido not consider the Inspectors in the matter. 497. Mr. Walker.) I think you said you did not mix with your neighbours, so that your scab is of your own manufacture, so to speak ? —Not my manufacture, as I have shown you, but it is in my possession. 498. Hon. the Chairman.) You spoke of surplus sheep?—We have never sent sheep to Wellington, but at present the Wellington butchers seem to like to have sheep from this district. 499. How many miles of fencing must you have done to shut off this bush ?—You cannot fence the bush, because it is intersected by watercourses at every half mile. No water-gate will stand them. I will read you what Mr. Foster, the Superintending Inspector, says on the subject: " I think it extremely doubtful whether such fences, with flood-gates at the extreme ends, could be maintained. I think that having fences in this position would but lull the country into a false security. They would not be proof against sheep in a wild condition." 500. Would not the fact of having a fence there enable you to drive them to be slaughtered? —No ; you would have to go to the main range. Ido not say that no fence would do good. lam now letting a contract for several miles of fencing for holding and mustering. 501. What proportion could you fence in?— What I have got fenced in. 502. What proportion is that about?— One-fourth of the flock; but that would not be onefourth of the area. 503. Would it be possible, with a sufficient staff of men, every one acting simultaneously, to destroy the bush sheep?— Yes; but it would take a little time. It would be easy to kill a lot of them, off, but you would have to offer rewards as the sheep got less. 504. Hon. Mr. Waterhouse.) You state that recently you obtained a clean certificate for a portion of your run ? —Yes. 505. When? For what length of time?— Since the 22nd July. 506. At that time, was not the whole of the run under one management and having one homestead ?—Yes, it had been; only we expressed our intention of putting up another station. 507. You admit that at the time you obtained this clean certificate the run was under one management, having one homestead ? Does it not appear to you that the Inspector having given you a clean certificate for the reason you now state shows that he was acting in opposition to an express provision of the Act?— That is not the interpretation put upon it by me. 508. Is it not sufficient to show that the Inspectors who would so act are unfit for the discharge of their duties under the Act?—l do not see it in that light. 509. Have the Inspectors a dispensing power, do you consider?— They exercise it; I do not know whether they have it. Everything is done according to the opinion of the Inspector. An Hon. Member. ,\ No, it is not. You will, I think, see that, in the opinion of some Inspectors, they have in effect a dispensing power, because the Magistrate has no option but to fine so long as the Inspector gives his opinion.