Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1911. FAKING OF SHEEP.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10238, 15 May 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1911. FAKING OF SHEEP.

The Maslterton A. and P. Association lias discussed the question of "sheep-ifabing," "but has thrown very little fresh light upon the subject. Most of the speakers at Saturday's meeting of the Association admitted that a to&iit&m amount of "trimming," etc., was done at every show, hut the majority i&eemed to think tiha/t ftfhis was necessary. There is very littde hope, therefore, of any change .being effected, iso far as the Masterton Association is concerned. The .propontions which "faking" has aissumed am New Zealand have been magnified a good deal, and if the rules of this Asisociations, which generally provide that unfair shearing shall be a disqualification,. are enforced iby the judges, there should be no iseriouis ground for complaint. The judges, however, should feel that they (have a great responsibility in tliis matter, and shoiild enforce the rule without fear or favour. Unless this is done, there wild, be repetitions of "ineidienits" «ucli as that which occurred at the (Last Masterton show. The President of the A. and P. Association has adopted rather a novel method of demonstrating the weakness of the position which has been taken up by certain breeders. He has offered prizes in four classes, which are to be open only to sheep Siliown in their natural condition. It if, of course, absurd to suppose that there will be competition in these classes while other classes are open to trimmed, sheep. The judges would have great difficulty in determining

wliut was t3ie "natural condition" of t!he exftnibats, and -Eke result, from a breeders' point of view, would not he encouraging. The offer of Mr Perry savours more of ia joke tihon anything else. However, df it is taken seriously by those gentlemen who 'have been selected to prepare th it will: prove at least interesting. Mr H. 6. Williams and those who have been fighting for a reform in the method! of exluhiting sheep, have done good service in exposing a, practise which might easily develop into a .species of deliberate "faking," and if they do not succeed in securing all they desire, they will, at anyi*ate,jli!ave the satisfaction of knowing that they have brought about ail) enforoemecnt of a rule which has not ibeen too strictly observed in the past.