Correspondence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 415, 25 October 1856, Page 7

Correspondence.

To the JEditor of the " Lgttelton Times."

Sir,—As to all oth'er'sulvjects, so to the Scab law there would seem from the recent correspondence in your columns to he two sides to the question. I think, however, we have only got the two extreme sides at present. Your correspondent " Fair Play" seemingly stating his own case, which appears to be a hard one, it' he be a sufferer from the delay in passing the scab law, and asking for a total suppression of the fining clause ; and your correspondents " one who has had scabby sheep and cured them," and "an owner of clean sheep," who seems to wish for more stringent regulations.

We must all agree with " one who has had scabby sheep and cored them" in the desirableness pi' keeping the country free, if

possible, from the scab ; but, I tear neither the imputation of personal motives to " Fair Play" in particular, nor his siomewha 1 .Don ny brook Fair arguments against scab in general will much forward that desideratum. He draws no line whatever between culpability and misfortune, and surely as a matter of justice it can hardly be right to bring certain and downright ruin upon A because there 13 a chance of A injuring B. Again, fully granting the desirableness of being entirely free from scab, so also how very desirable would it be to be free from smallpox, measles, and all other evils that flesh both human and bestial is heir to. ~i et though we may take every precaution against these, we should hardly, I trust,pass a law for the decapitation of the measly subject. Again, your correspondent quotes the passing of a recent law in New South Wales for the destruction of all scabby sheep. But, I would ask. are the circumstances of the,two colonies parallel ? Even if so, he only tells us that the" law has been recentli/'-p^sed ; we should know, I think, how it works, ere we adopt it. Your other correspondent" an owner of cleansheep" also seems to ignore accidents, misfortune, and the circumstances of this country; viz., the want of boundaries, the great scarcity of labour, and, in consequence, the employer's inability to obtain experienced or trustworthy shepherds. Now it seems to me that it would be wiser to allow that the evil exists, and endeavour practically to alleviate it, than to stand still (like the carter in the fable, calling]] upon Jupiter) and either abuse the existing law, or call upon the legislature to pass some impossible act. I quite agree with your later correspondent, that the present scab law has done great good; but whether it might be modified for the better is another question. It certainly does appear monstrous that the fine levied upon the owners of scabby sheep should be applied by the government to any extraneous purposes'; I think the fine should be ap-. plied to the cleaning of the scabby sheep, under the inspection of competent persons. As then (as I said before) the scab exists, and it is to the benefit, of the whole sheep-own-ing community, experienced and inexperienced, to alleviate it as much as possible, I would suggest a few Hints which, if worth anything, might be put into shape by wiser heads than mine. I would propose that a voluntary society of stockowners should be formed, that each member of such society should pa) r annually, by quarterly payments, a certain sum per hundred for every hundred sheep, say five shillings ; that a committee of practical and experienced men should draw up certain rules for the treatment and cure of scab, such rules to be followed gin the event of any 'member's flock breaking out—such flocks also to be under the inspection or direction of the committee, or some experienced person appointed by them, whose expenses would be paid from the general fund ; also,that the same society should* keep on hand a sufficient quantity of any ingredients ordered "to be used in the dipping mixtures by the rules of the societ} r, so that no delay might occur from* the want of them ; such ingredients to be sold at cost price to the member requiring them ; also, that each member should grow a certain quantity of tobacco yearly, and have a sufficient convenience for clipping his sheep ; the society making small loans for this purpose, and also, if required, to the member whose sheep are scabby, for the purpose of cleaning them under the society's rules. These are the bare heads of the scheme that I would throw out. To the experienced stockowner they will doubtless appear frivolous, but I think they might be of sou>ti value to the inexperienced, under which I'ciiii the majority of the stockowners in f.hh colony I think may be classed. They wcuUi

offeraremedy to theinexperiei)ced,andassistance to those wanting means—-tKe two principal causes, perhaps, why scab gels ahead when once contracted. The society might also be used as a means for prosecuting persons wilfully driving scabby sheep over the runs of its members—and as a vehicle for any other purposes where the interests of the squatter are from time to time concerned. Apologizing for thus trespassing on your valuable space, I remain, Sir. Your obedient servant, An Inexp.eeienced Owhee of Clean Sheep.