The Feilding Star. AND OROUA COUNTY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1893. The Sheep Act

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 119, 28 March 1893, Page 2

The Feilding Star. AND OROUA COUNTY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1893. The Sheep Act

Fun tho information of our readers we publish the following from the Sheep Act, 1S ( JO : clause 67: — Every owner of sheep shall forthwith after shearing any of such sheep, and before they leave the woolshcd, or drafting yard, distinctly brand the said sheep with a wool-brand, and every such owner who fails to brand .such sheep as aforesaid, in manner as herein required, is liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds and not less than two shillings in respect of every sheep not so branded. The Governor may, by order in Council, from time to time, on petition of a majority of owners of sheep in any district, or subdivision of a district, representing the ownership of not less than two thirds the total number of sheep in such district or sub-division, exempt any such district, or subdivision, from the operation of this section, and may similarly alter or revoke any such Order in Council in part or in whole as lie .shall think tit. In the Brands Act, 18N0, c'ai' c 1 .">, it is provided tliat " .-ill alieep nbovp the ago. of four months shall be branded with the registered brand of the owner which shall be renewed fio.n time to time so that the same shall at all t'mes be legible, and for every such sheep not so branded, the owner there of shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.' At his last sale, in Feilding, Colonel (Jorton pointed out that if sheep were sold four times in one week they would J have to be branded the same number of times. He urged upon the farmers present the necessity for their taking advantage of the clause in the Bheep Act (]uo u ed above. He- told them that the necessary petition had already been prepared and signed, but about one hundred and n'fty more signatures were n.-cded to wee, tie requirements of the Act. Of coarse it is just possible fiat the opposition to this petition wh'ch existed wl-en a former similar pe.it'o 1 w.;s cc it round for signai-ure, may evst yet. Fanners are apt to be conservative, and, as they are not amoiig those who drive small mobs of sheep from stock sale to stock sale, whether the clause in the Sheep Ace- now urder consideration is suspended or not, really matters little to them, it is doubtful whether 'hey, as a class, will .show much enthusiasm on the matter.

That the Australasian colonies have acted wisely in determining to exclude undesirable ummigrants from Kngjand, is amjily proved by thu following extract from the annual report of the Minister of Justice on the penitentiaries of Canada, which says:--'' Of latr years our penitentiaries have had a most undesirable class of criminals added to their number. Cockney sm-ak-thicves and pick-pockets art' iiuinci'ous. Those pests arc gathered }](»)) tbo slums of St. ('ilcs and the Kast end of London, and, after short terms of .so-taJJed probation in certain imtoriously mismanaged refuges, are periodically shipped to Canada as imiipgrants deser\ ing encouragement and support. In order to protect the community against the depredations of .such thoroughly trained nialefactois, and our youth especially against the cvii effects of their example and inlluenee, it would be advisable? that edecUial means .should be adopted to prevent mistaken philanthropists abroad and at home from aiding and encouraging the transplantation to Canada of exotii/s unsuitod to the soil and moral atmosphere of the Dominion."' Our colonial spielers aud larrikins are already auMicicittly abundant, without importing the English-made article.