THE SCAB ACT. [From the Lyttelton Times, May 27.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 923, 7 June 1854, Page 3

THE SCAB ACT. [From the Lyttelton Times, May 27.]

j Anything" which mateiially affects the pros- ' pcrity of the pastoral interest, and the production of wool, the great article of export at present from this colony, must be of interest to the public ; we therefore invite attention to the advertisement announcing" a meeting of stock1 owners at noon on Saturday next at the Royal Hotel, Chrislehurch, for the purpose of fixing | upon a competent person as an Inspector of Sheep, it being understood that Government ! will appoint the person recommended by the stnekowners of the Province. That the duties of that officer under the Scab and Catarrh Ordinance will involve great res1 ponsibility in their proper discharge, will be evident to any one acquainted with the history of the measure, or who runs his eye over the clauses of the Ordinance in question. It will be remembered that so pressing was the necessity felt to be for some legislation on j this subject, that the above was the only Ordinance passed in the first Session of the Provincial Council relating to any matter beyond the mere machinery of Government. Its proposer, Mr. Hall, lvid the support and suggestions of a public meeting of stockowners at Christ- ' church during the progress of the measure through the Council. The clauses of the Ordinance which is now to be brought into operation are of the most stringent nature, and are enforced by penalties of unwonted severity. As an illustration of this point, and as the best method of explaining th 9 nature of this measure, we will suppose the case of an unfortunate individual landing say 500 sheep from a ship, having only in the words of the Ordinance " One lamb on board infected with the disease called Scab," [«cc section 25] ; and we will further suppose the said infected sheep to be scattered afier landing from a Sou'wester. The following petty account might be incurred by a pi"rsnn-so~situaT:ed.' " ": On the nifonna'ion of Mr. A. suffering infected bh -en to s.ray along a publ c way £100 0 A.d 'itinnnl fine of €1 p«r head for 400 j above tho lvunbrrof 100 .. .. 4fio 0 The damn fiaes; as above on the information of Mr. B '.. 500 0 [Note. — The ihnve finps maybe repeated on the information »f every occupier o{ Imd along or through which any public way may go upon which the sheen were allowed to stray.] For f)Cn infected sheep not branded with ! the letter S. at s. a head .. .. 125 0 For the shrep not being branded with owner's brand 5 0 Additioml for 100 sheep ibnvethe munbewrf'lOO at GJ. per head „ .. 210 For bis sheep brand not being registered 5 0 For having a flock of .500 infected sheep at 5s each 1230 For two inspectois ordered by a Justice of the Peace to inspect bis flock, three days at 20s. per day each.. .... 6 0 For obsrrucfing the said inspectors .. 100 0 For neglecting for ten days to have his sheep herded by day, and kept by night in a sheep proof enclosure according to order of Justices, £10 each day, and £10 each night 200 0 For ten carcasses of sheep dying of catarrh, not consumed by fire, nor buried 3 feet under ground, at £"» a bead 50 0 For casting the same into a stream •• 20 0 For having in his possession fur the purpose of slaughtering ten infected sheep at £5 each - 50 0 For Cruising infected sheep to be landed 100 0 Additional for all above 20 nt £5 per head 2,<TO 0 Total penaltic3..£.'j-,188 10 Besides all damages which might have been sued for "at law or otherwise if this Ordinance had not been passed !" Now it is for the enforcing and bringing into active operation so stringent a law as this that ' the stockowners are to selectan officer in, whom they have sufficient confidence on Saturday next Need we urge upon all who can possibly attend to be present, and to unite in adopting the best means which can be devised for securing the election of a person to vihose hands may be saf^r entrusted so much power for good or evil as this Ordinance, and the nature ol his duties, confers oil the inspector. On the one hand, the danger of allowing a highly infectious disease like scab to establish itself, and to spread amongst the runs, through the carelessness of any individual flockmaster, is very set ions, and is enhanced' by the nature of these open plains, on which most of the runfe are «ej>arated by only an imaginary line, and are thus almost unavoidably exposed to be trespassed upon by neighbouring flocks, especially in severe storms. Hence the rapidity with which such a disease may be spread, till runs become so infected ibat the sheep upon them cannot be nuide clean again. Such is the case in some parts of Van Diemen's Land^and at Port Phillip. Ou the other hand, the remedy might be worse than the disease if an improper person should be appointed Inspector. To fill this office propei ly the peison appointed should be neither directly nor indirectly (i. c. through friends and relatives) interested in any particular flock. He should al-~o be of a character

above the suspicion of being influenced to exercise undue favoritism, or of indulging a private pique by peculiar severity inwards individuals. At the *arne time he shouKl posses sufficient firmness rind decision to enable him to follow the plain path of itotv as a protestor of the public interest, and not to sacrifice the safety of all by a weak indulgence towards those who raay infringe the law. Such appear to he the chief points to be secured in any person who can be safely entrusted to wield the formidable powers of this Ordinance, and such qualities, we trust, will alone satisfy the stockowners in the candidate to whom they will give their support.