THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1907. A KNOTTY QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8985, 20 November 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1907. A KNOTTY QUESTION.

A correspondent, "Stockman," in a fetter published in another column, raises a very nice point in connection with the magisterial decision at the local, court last week in the case of County Council versus P. Hamill, for rescuing horses from the county ratiger, who was conveying them from Taueru to the Masterton pound. It was alleged for the defence that the horses should have been taken to the Taueru pound. The question arose as to whether the Taueru pound had been abolished or was still in legal existence, and Mr James, S.M., deferred his decision on the specific charge against defendant until the County Council's books had been examined to ascertain if th°re w->s any record of the abolition of the latter pound. The examination of the bdoks disclosed nothing to indicate that it had either been established or abolished since 1878 —the furthest period to which the records date back—and .the magistrate in entering a conviction without imposing a penalty said it was for the defendant to prove that the ranger was acting illegally in driving the horses to the borough pound. The point raised by our correspondent is:— "Who is responsible for all stock sold, and for poundage and driving fees received at the Taueru pound?"' The question is one which only the law courts can decide.. As far as we can ascertain the Taueru pound must have been established in the far-back days by the superintendent of Wellington province. From the inauguration of the county the council, having taken the proper establishment of the pound for granted, had appointed the poundkeepers until the resignation of the keeper in 3905, since which time the office had remained vacant, and de facto, if not de jjve, the pound has ■ practically ceased to exist. For the past two years the county ranger has used the borough pound for the custody of straying stock, and that pound is nine miles from Taueru. The question raised by our correspondent is. as he states, a knotty one, and if brought into the law courts might result ill remarkable developments,