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Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 313, 17 April 1878, Page 4

z J ROPOSED NEW SHEEP ACT. the following extracts i 10m proposed new Sheep Act, for the information of all interested : VOSSESSIOX OPJEVECTED SHEEP. Cause 19. If any Inspector of Sheep shallbe satisfied that any sheep arc infeetd Avith scab it shall be laAvful for Idm t\give the owner of such sheep an order y.writing directing him effectually to such sheep within six months from tX date of such order ; and il at any tile during such period of six monthsteuch owner shall not, in the opinion f the Inspector, have made or be ma'thV reasonable exertions to clean such she A or, if at the expiration of three norths next following such period of six norths, such sheep shall not, in the opinion of the Inspector be free from scab, tie oyner thereof shall, upon conviction, be liable to a penalty ot not less than threepence nor exceeding layo shillings'for .'every such infected sheep; and if after the expiration of six months from the date of such conviction such sheep shall not, in the opinion of the Inspector, bs free from scab, such owner, shall be liable to a further penalty of not less than sixpence nor exceeding tAVO shillings for every such infected sheep ; and so on for every succeeding period of six months each : Provided always that a separate information under this section may be laid in regard to every separate flock in the possession of one owner. And if any one such flock shall exceed one thousand sheep in number a separate information may bo laid for every additional one thousand sheep or fractional part of such number contained in such flock. 20. If it shall appear to any Inspector of Sheep), upon his own view, that any sheep are infected Avith scab or catarrh, and that such sheep may, if not constantly herded by day and kept by night within a sheep-proof enclosure, cause damage to the oAvnors of neighbouring flocks, it shall be lawful for such ’lnspector, by warrant under bis hand in the form or to the effect sot forth in Schedule C to this Act, to order the owner of such sheep to cause them to bo constantly horded by day, and to bo kept by night Avithin a sheep-proof enclosure, until it shall appear upon the certificate of an Inspector of Sheep that such sheep are entirely free from , the said diseases ; and for each day upon which such owner shall neglect to have such sheep herded as' aforesaid, and likewise for each night upon which such owner shall neglect to have such sheep enclosed as aforesaid, he shall be subject to a penalty not exceeding twenty-five pounds. 21. When any owner of sheep shall have several flocks of sheep depasturing upon any ran or farm, or upon adjoining runs or farms, and one ol such flocks shall be infected with scab, it shall not be hiAvfnl for such owner to remove any sheep from any such run or runs, farm or farms, for a period of' three calendar mouths after he shall have obtained from an Inspector of Sheep a certificate that all the flocks in his possession and depasturing upon such run or runs, farm or farms, are entirely free from disease, unless upon each occasion of removal the whole of such flocks shall be mustered and found free from disease, and the sheep required to be removed shall be dipped under the supervision and to the satisfaction of an Inspector of Sheep ; and any person offending against the provision of this section shall be liable to a penalty of fifty pounds. Clause 22 provides that OAvncrs shall give notice in writing to adjoining sheep owners within forty-eight hours Avhen there are reasonable grounds for suspecting flock to be infected. Notice to be given to Inspector within ten days. Penalty for neglect £SO, and a separate penalty up to £lO for every twenty-four hours aftenvards till notice given. “ All sheep shall, for the purposes of this section, be deemed to be infected Avith scab or catarrh Avhich shall be known by the owner thereof to have mixed with other sheep so infected within three months previously.” 23. Every owner of any sheep infected with the scab shall cause the same to be distinctly wool-branded on the back thereof Avith the letter “ S,” such letter not being less than four inches in length, and such brand shall from time to time be renewed as occasion may require, so that the same shall always he distinct and legible; and every such owner shall be liable to a fine of hot less than sixpence nor more than five shillings for every such sheep not being so branded as aforesaid. 24. If any sheep infected with scab or catarrh shall be found, not being at the time herded by a shepherd, depasturing upon a run not being substantially fenced or protected by a natural sheep-proof bound ary, the owner of such sheep shall be subject to a penalty of not less than threepence nor more than five shillings for every sheep so depasturing as aforesaid. Clause 25. Penalty for abandoning infected sheep £SO or six months imprisonment. Clause 26 .Infected sheep in pound may be destroyed. Clause 27. Penalty for removing skins taken from infected sheep after death, unless skin be securely packed in a bale or bag, from £5 to £SO. Clause 28. Clean certificate not to be given until whole of sheep have been cleansed. Clause 29. No sheep shall be driven through any infected run, or any run having infected sheep thereupon, without the owner or person in charge first

having obtained a certificate in the form of Schedule D to this Act from the Inspector for the district, under a penalty ot not less than ten pounds.nor exceeding one hundred pounds.