The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1886. MORE SCAB.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2412, 29 September 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1886. MORE SCAB.

On Mr Livertoh's mn at Pakowai several scabby sheep havo recently been found. Mr Liverton'a run adjoins the Crown lands wbore for years past a Diimbor of wild sheep have been allowed to wander unmolested, and tho outbreak of scab in tho present iiiHtance is clearly traceable to this cause. A short time ago wo congratulated ourselves that the Wairarapa district was free ftom scab, that the North Island was exempt from this plague, that, with the exception of one spot on tho Middle Island, tbe whole colony was cleun. Now this district, the North Island, and tbu whole colony is once more under the scab scourge; and it is only right tbut it should be pointed out that there has been culpable neglect in the administration of tiie Act which has led up So tho present unsatisfactory position. The result of this new scab epidemic to this district is the cloßing of the Sydney, Chtistchurcli, and Auckland markets lor our surplus sheep for another year. These markets wo might havo oxpocted fo supply with profit to our graziers, but now that the word " unclean" is ticketed up, no sheep can be sent beyond Wellington without an expensive dipping at Kaiwarra, which would depreciate the value of the stock and absorb all margin of profit. It means, in fact, the loss of thousands of pounds to the Wairarapa and to tbe colony, Who is to blamol Someone ought to be punished when a palpable blunder like this becomes apparent. Time after time the necessity of dealing with the wild sheep on tbe Crown Lands lias been urged on the Government, but the latter have ignored the advice of competent local authorities liko Inspector Drummond, and, for the sake of the proverbial "ha'porth of tar," have sunk the ship. Inspector Drumtuond is controlled by an Inspector-in-Chiof, the latter officer takes his orders from the Under SeC' retary, and the Under Secretary is guided by tho responsible minister, the Hon. Mr Buckley. Who is to blame 1 We can get as far as Mr Buckley, but is it fair to censure him ? What does he know about shoep? Who advises Mr Buckley? 'Does he listen to the man in tbe street, and then issue forth the edict, which lands the sheep department in a hopeless muddle ) We are quito satisfied that had the local officers of the department been allowed to oxeroise their own judgment in the, case of these wild sheep there wouldifaye been no fresh outbreak of scab in the Wbareama, We trust

when the House meets there will be;H searching investigation into this mutter.We believe that an enquiry will show that the Injector in charge of this district was fully alive to the danger that, was to be apprehended from these wild sheep, that he communicated his apprehensions to the Government, and recommended a line of action which "•ould have obviated the risk, hut the Government simply failed to carry out his recommendation, and are, therefore, directly responsU>l« for this now outbreak of scab,