SEC. 40 SHEEP ACT FOR 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 851, 7 January 1879, Page 2

SEC. 40 SHEEP ACT FOR 1878.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVEXIXG MAIL. Sir, —Section 40 of tlie new Sheep Actis a most unworkable one. In the first place a clean certificate must be obtained by the purchaser of sheep for removal from one district to another, whether from an infected to an infected district, or from a clean to a clean district. So far the section is well enough, but now comes the objective portion of it: —" And unless he shall have given to the inspector of the district into which the sheep are to be introduced at least seven days' previous notice of his intention so to introduce them, stating in such notice the number of such sheep, and the point at which, and the day on which, it is intended they shall cross the boundary of the district." The hardship attendant on this portion of the section will be apparent at sight to those who are accustomed to travel from one point of the country to another in search of fat and store stock. Formerly it would not have so much mattered, because of the means of transit being across country on foot, but now as the train is put into requisition it becomes a most serious matter. For example, an Oamaru stock and station agent buys at Timaru for a client in Oamaru, say for a boilingdown establishment; the stock required are yarded for transport, but must be driven into paddocks to allow of the seven days' notice to the inspector. What amount of depreciation will have taken place in the weight of tlie stock during that time 1 They have again to be yarded at the expiry of the nptice, when they are placed in the trucks, and on their arrival at the Papakaio side of the Waitaki Bridge, they must be shunted off for inspection, and thus detained for nearlj' another day. I should say that altogether fat sheep would lose 25 per cent, by the operation ; that is, thoy would simply be reduced to store stock. Allowing that I take too florid a view of the case, let us suppose that the sheep were bought on the station where they were bred. In this case seven days' notice would be necessary to the Timaru district inspector and seven more to the Oamaru one. Thus fourteen days would be lost between the time required and the delivery. This applies co all other cases where the necessity exists for quick transit. In that of the removal of store sheep from one run to another, this difficulty will not cause so much trouble as the loss of three months in seven-day notices from Nelson to Hi vert on.—l am, &c., A Settlek.