SCABBY SHEEP.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1774, 9 August 1888, Page 4

SCABBY SHEE P .

The following is the principal part of the Committee s Report on the above question:— . • The existence of Bcab at the present time is an absolute disgrace to all concerned in administration of the law, and your committee recommends that the Government should either take charge of the infected flocks or send the most capable inspectors in the service to reside in the different infected localities, with instructions not to leave until the disease is stamped out. Your committee are perfectly confident that this can be done in a reasonable time by cohs'aot and unremitting attention, and are also certain that menus such as these are in the true interests of the sheep owners themselves, especially the owners of infected sheep, as the past history of (■cub in the colony abundantly proves. Your committee are of opinion that these three outbreaks of ecab in dfferent parts of the colony two years after every flockowoer in it had been granted a clean certificate afford unmistakeable grounds for conc'uding that the department h«s { failed in its most important functioos, aod I hat a change is absolutely esaeotial. The question is in what direction shall the change be made 1 It has been suggested to remove the control of th» department from the Goverment and transfer it to the county councils or road bosrdc. Others ng-iiu think that a belter plan, would be to have a special bo rd elected for the purpose similar to the pasture boards of New South Wulco, who themselves e'ect a central board, always sitting in Syduey, cf which a Minister is always a member, this central board being the channel of com-, tnunication between the outlying districts and the Government. The committee do not think that either of these plans is suited to the circumstances of this co'ony. The local bodies at present constituted are not fit to deal with the question, and when we recollect the strong feeling that existed iu Neison and Marlborough against the enforcing of the the penal clauses of the act, the committee think it would not bo wise to risk a similar resu't; while, as regards the New South Walea system of pasture boards, it has not been an unmixed success and in our sma ler area the ctmmittee are afraid that loc.il influence might be too powerful. Taking into consideration the configuration of the colony and the broken nature of the interior where an invpectoi'd duties chiefly lie, it seems evident that a different system is required lo that in operation in the more compact Australia colonies. A modification of our present system will best suit our requiremerts, and therefore the commiitte recommend that the office of superintending inspector, with his headquarters in VVeilingon, te abolished, believing that no permanent improvement wiil be effected as long as a superintending injector is kept in his present position. In tho place of a superintending incpector the committee recouiend that New Zealand be divided ivto S'X sheep district', with «u inspector over each. These inspectors to be in direct communication with the Minister, who, of course, would have his departmental office. They would, furnish quarterly and annual return?, from which the annual report for the co'ony would be compiled. Whenever necessary, (possibly during the ses&ion of Parliament) th-y could meet togsther in Wellington aud considar any matter put beforo them ; also discuss departmental matters generally Uniformity of action, of which there is none at present, woflld thus be secured, and this alone would largely tend towards efficiency and economy. With regard to the apointrmnt of sub-inspector. o , the committee consider that no ppointm- nt to the department should be made in future without the approval of the inspector of the district, who must be held responsible for his own district, and each must be allowed to appoint or discharge his own subordinates. The weakness of the department, so far as the subordinates are concerned, has been brought about mainly by the little discretion exercised in making appointments. The committee believe it to be nn essential of efficiency that every officer of the department in every grade should be known to possess a considerable experience in stock, which qualificatior has frequently been lost sight of in the past. The six districts should be as follows :- (l)Otago and Southland; (2) Canterbury, Amuri, and Kaikoura; (3) Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland ; (4) Wellington and Taranaki; (5) Hawke's Bay and Cook county.; (6) Auckland. The committee consider that such a plan as is proposed would be suitable to our circumstances, and a groat deal of the friction that now exists would be removed. The inspectors would be in direct communication with the Minister, who should not interfere with the details of their work ; and their subordinates, again, wotild be in direct communication with theraßelvefl, and this is absolutely necessary, for a sub-inspector should at all times be able to coneu't personally with an inspector, who should possess as iutimito a knowledge of *.he country and the people as himself. The diversity of condition that has to be dealt with, together with the fact that very few sub-inßpectors are content to conduct their court cases and work up the evidence required, render rhia necessary. The cotfimittee believe (hit conditions snch as the?e are necessuy to the efficient working of the Act, and tbe question is—Can th*y be carried out with the present system of dual government under a superintending inspector 1 They consider it to be impossible, no matter who might be tbe person lo fi'l such a position ; and they therefore recommend that th»t office be abolished.—Robert Pharaztn, Chairman. lnt lugunt, 1888. The Bay of Inlands Coal Company has paid a dividend of 6 per cent. Coughs, Colds, Bronchitis, &c, are quickly cured by using Bixrer's " Lung Preserver." This old-established and favorite medicine is pi asant to the palate, and highly extolled by members of tbe medical, legal, and clerical professions. For testimonials, see advt. Sold by all patert medicine vendors. The Northern express train did not reach Dunedin on Monday n : ght. Several slips look ptace about Purakanui cliffs, la one of these a surf ice man r.arned * v illiamion wa6 struck on the head with a falling t-tone and seriously injured. In view of this it was not deemed prudent to take the train further than Waitati. A train wan despatched from Dunedin with a doctor to attend to the injured man. On Tuesday afurnoon the train goi throtigri all rr'gli*. Vil iamsou'rt cse is I serious.