SHEEP STEALING

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1929, Page 3

SHEEP STEALING

NOT CON PI N I'M) TO ]iKJ STATIONS.

CMIIISTGIUTiICII, March 27

, That sheep stealing is very preval(!iit in Now Zealand is undoubted. Although most ol‘ the stealing probably gjies no on big stations in i.lm back country, it is not confined entirely to them. Km|iunit cases occur of sheep being taken from trucks when they are on their way to and from the markets.

It is a common tiling for a line of sheep to arrive at Addington with one or two short of the number originally put on the train. Of course, it is not. always possible to say definitely that a.''theft has taken place, because mistakes are sometimes made in counting sheep on. There are many cases, however. when the counting on and oil' tile train has been done carefully, and then it is certain that some sheep have been taken from the trucks during the journey. This form of theft is' iiiirly easy to commit because it is not difficult'. when a long train is standing at a small country station for a. thief to work; unobserved. . The thefts in these cases do not generally involve more than two or three s'heep at a time. For this reason they are not so serious as the big thefts sometimes numbering hundred of sheep at one swoop. However, they are annoying to the farmers and stock

' ■ms because, apart from the loss, they cause a great deal ol extra work in trying to trace the missing sheep. Cases have also occurred of sheep a lid cattle' being stolen, from saleyards, lint these thefts are not common because passes have to lie obtained for all -lock before it is removed from the yards.