The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1883. SCAB.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1421, 4 July 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1883. SCAB.

In February, 1881, there was a " serious scab scare" in the Wairarapa, which resulted in one of the largest meetings of settlers over held amongst us. To many persons, no doubt, a scab scare is a small matter, but the mere existence of. scab in a district like the Wairarapa is really a serious affair. It means a depreciation of landed property which a hundred thousand pounds would riot cover; it indicates a diminution of our annual income which we can ill afford. In 1878 a new Sheep Act came into force which was framed with a view to suppress scab with a strong hand, Its clauses were very stringent, andwheu in 1879 and in 1880 scab instead of disappearing throughout the district increased and multiplied, the question of " What is to bo done f was discussed on all sides. Wairarapa scab became even a Cabinet question, and the measures taken to cope with it were arranged by no less a personage than the Premier of the Oolony, It was agreed pretty gonerally that the Act of 1878 gave all necessary powers, and that the weak point ky in its administration. The great meeting of settlers in February, 1881, was not quite 1 nnaninimous, but it resolved that old brooms should be dispensed with, and that new brooms should sweep scab out of the district. We did not at tho time venture to question the expediency of the arrangements whhh were made. In certain quartern they were received with disfavor, but we said to the]malecontents give" the new"' administration a fair trial, and judge it by its results. The time has now arrived, after the lapse of two and a-half years, when we may fairly talco stock of the arrangements made in 1881, and express that opinion which we were then not in a position to form. In that year the Whareama district was then, as now, the haunt of

scabby sheep. On December 31,1880, fourteen North Waiiarapa flocks were returned as infected, containing 111,700 sheep. On the 30th June last there were but eight tainted flocks, containing 51,810 sheep. This result is to a certain extent satisfactory, biit we must confess to a feeling of disappointmenb that more has not been done. Wo feel certain that the meeting held two and a-half years ago expected better results than these. Thero is, however, a rumor afloat that

the eight flocks now declared to be infected dp not represent all the scab in the Whareama, and that on some stations the vigilance of the Inspectors has been eluded, If this report be true—and it is something more than an idle rumor—the North Wairarapa may be deemed to be as scabby now as it was in January, 1881, and the GovernmentDepartmenttohaveabsolutely failed to carry out the task which it took in hand, A certain resolution was passed in February, 1881, on the motion of Mr Phaiwzyn, seconded by Mr ,W. H, Bbbtham, which would, no doubt, be extremely appropriate for a similar gathering in the present year. We givei it: to flockowners as a handy motion, which may be safely adopted at Jiny.; pastoral meeting, and also because; in this instance the sauce which fas'formerly served out to the goose must, in all fairness, be taken to be the correct condiment for the gander. The resolution to. which we-refer 'ran asjfqilows \--rThaUth p-esentnwmber \ metis aproof ''thai really effective steps have not been IftMiVo eradicate sc'uh,

Are not tlieso words of wisdom tis true now as fclioy were then and havo we not a case against the Government which undertook the.work of,• eradica-. tion?. else to call into Court tesides'iihe.Government. Wi do mot Inspectors/ They are simply subordinates to a Chief Inspector, who, in his turn, takes his orders from the Colo-

rial Secretary, or, as the case may be, rom the Colonial. .Secretary's private secretary. At the'.meeting ; hold; in 1881 : tho following resolutions -were Missed:— "

"That, in tho opinion of;thia meotiiiu, a committee be formod fpr.the.preyentioh.and eradication'of scab in tho counties of Bast ■uul West Wairarapa, and for preparing •

necessary amradments of the Act j" ' Aud" That Messrs Eldor, F. Maunsoll, H. Beetham, E. Moreclfth, C, Pharazyn, J. V. Smith, A. Minchiu, J, Benuetfc, ■ 0. A,- Vallance, 0, J. Yallance, E, .fiiddiford; W. 0. Buchanan', d', Cameron, G, M, Diummorid; R. McLaren,and. IV, Mackay bo tho Committee!"....;.! i '•;'..■'"■;' ■• ')':;'!■'• ■

We feel it; only right' to challenge Messrs Eldkr, ' MaiJsell, Beetham and Co., as to tho result' of their stewardship, They accepted the responsibility of taking such steps as could. be'adoptod-locally'for preventing and extinguishing scab, and it is about time that they reported progress, We fear that thoro is a prima facie case' against themjor neglecting an important trust confided to thoir care, At any rate wc have a right' to ask them whether scab is now as rampant as it was in 1881, and if so whether no steps can, even at this eleventh hour, be taken ,to remedy the evil 1 As matters now stand blame appears to be attributable to tho Government and the committee of settlers who jointly initiated a programme of operations which appears to havo been an unmitigated failure.