The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1884. THE SHEEP ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1703, 5 June 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1884. THE SHEEP ACT.

The Sheep Act is admittedly and designedly a stringent measure! Past experience in New Zealand under. Sheep Acts of a milder type lias proved the necessity of " an iron band " to suppress scab. When penalties were light or the measure of them ivas left to the discretion of a Resident Magistrate, it was found that flockowners would risk them with their eyes open, rather than, in many instances, conform to some inconvenient section ot the Act. Even now there are casos where it is palpable that a sheep pro prictor will chance the heavier penalties, which he knows full well he is liable to, in order to obtain some temporary advantage. It is a matter of regret that a severe measure should have to be administered, but the evil which it is intended to counteract is so grave that no disinterested person can blame the Legislature. 'Me the Whareaina district as an example! We believo that wo are well within the mark if we assert that the existence of scab there depreciates property to the extent of £IOO,OOO, and entails an annual loss of £IO,OOO to the settlers. Wo can understand that a man who lias been fined £SO for a breach of the Act, regards the demand made upon him for that sum, as more serious than the great question of "scab or no scab." We are sorry to seo any individual subjected to a heavy penalty but wo cannot forget tho absolute importance of suppressing scab in that district, and wo adhere to n principle which we advocated some yoars ago, viz., that whatever be the cost to the Government or to the settlers scab must bo stamped out in the Whareama. When Mr Sutton' iirst took charge of that district, an outcry was raised against liiin, sind we claimed that he should have fair play for the difficult task which lay before him, When it was apparent that the task was beyond his power, we advocated a change. Mr Drummond has taken up his work, and is also entitled to fair play. We believe that Mr jJrujimond may succeed better than his zealous and honest predecessor, because he has a greater knowledge of both the country and the settlers than Mr Sutton possessed. It was possible for a clover sbeepowner to hoodwink a comparative stranger like Mr Sutton, but it would be a more difficult task to mislead' a man like Mr Dkummond, who knows every foot of the country, and every man who lives in it. We believe that Mr Dremmokd will succeed in stamping out scab in tho Whareama, and with a reasonable prespect of such a great result being obtained, it would be most mischievous to tie. his hands in any way, and it is also most ungenerous towards him to question the measures which he ' thinks . proper to tiike co achieve tho task whioh he has in hand. Mr Drumsiond is a strict officer, but we venture to Bay that, if a poll were taken in the Whareama District to-mor-row for the election of an Inspec-

tor, that lie would be returned by a largo majority. Settlers generally are working heartily with the Inspector to suppress scab! It is only a few who ar6 working against him, It would be i far better for the latter to join the majority, They occasionally, with their ey'es'opon, break the law, and are •pulled up and fined. In taking this 1 course they lay themselves open to censure, and they force the Inspector to vindicate the law. They may fancy that it is possible to repeal the Sheep Act or to get an easy going Inspector in place of Mr Drusimond, but their chance of obtaining oither of these questionable benefits is a remote one. It wouldJ)e far wiser for them to help Mr DiioMMOND to clean the district, A yoar hence the Whareama will, we trust, become free from scab, and' this is the real goal at which erery flockowner in the district should aim,