Stock Committee's Report.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3309, 14 September 1889, Page 2

Stock Committee's Report.

The sixth annual report of the Stock Committee of Now Zealand was laid on the table of tlio House.— Your Committee lnivo the honour to report that they have inquired into various matters connected with the Stock Department, and are of opinion that tlio changes that were made last year have been beneficial, though they have not yet had the effect intended—of stamping scab out of the country. The three districts that wero infected with scab' at tlio time of the last session still remain so, namely Tophouse, Kaikoura, and Miranda. At tlio Topliousn and tlio neighborhood very energetic steps have been taken; two gangs of men were employed for some six months in scouring tlio country, and 1200 wild sheep have been killed, many of them very soabby. No wild sheep arc now known to exist there, but the inspector of the district cannot bo certain until lie Ims had an opportunity of trailing sheep over the country. The Loan and Mercantile Agency Company own the Jiircli Hill and adjoining stations, and for the last tweho months they have apparently done everything possible to thwart the action of the Inspector. Had they co-operated with him there is very little doubt that the question of whether the country was clean or not would have been decided,. The Committee consider that the action of the representatives of the Company in this locality is deserving of the severest consurc, in setting an example that would not be tolerated in a private individual, and which is most prejudicial to the best interests of the Colony. Until this Compiin;. is made to do its duty, this parC of the country must remain on the infected list; but it is fair to say. that the Company dispute the ownership of the leasehold. At Kaikoura, the flock tliat was infected last year is now clean, but there has been a very remarkable outbreak in another direction. The country is known as the Bui Bui Run, and was considered by the owners to be free jfrbin scab, liaylpg been uustockefl lor

about two years, In February last scab was discovered in an island flock of 800 sheep, which were at once destroyed. ' The scab was supposed to have been about a month old; but all the efforts that have heon made to trace the cause of the diseaso have failed, and, until that is discovered, the country cannot be considered safe. At Miranda scab was discovered in a flock of 200 sheep. Theso sheep were not destroyed, but were prdered by the Minister to bis cleaned. Your Committee consider the sheep should have been at onc« destroyed. Thus, from various causes, New Zealand is still suffering from being an infested country; and, while your Committee recognise that good work-has been done during the last year, they would urge upon the Government the necessity of increased vigilance until a clean bill of health can bo shown for the entire colony. Your Committee recommend that tattoo marking. on any part of the slieop should be v'" legal marl;, and that a wool brand, should not bo compulsory. The Committee would also strongly urge that 110 sheep should be allowed to travel upon the public roads without some easily visible wool brand or mark, The number of rabbit skins exported during tho last year was .12,698,171, being: an' increase of nearly half a million on the proceeding year. It would appear, therefore, that the number of rabbits is still increasing; but it is hoped that their encroachment 011 any further area of country will be less rapid than lias been the case the past. The conference held in Sydney hist year, after the most oxlmustivo experiments, aud inost' careful investigation," has repotted that none of tho diseases that camo under their notice, were of any practical use in getting rid of the rabbits, and they were compelled to fall back on the three known methods of dealing with them, namely, poisoning, tho natural enemy and fencing. As to poisoning aiid the natural enemy, the evidence taken before the Committee goes conclueivoly in tho samo direction. Fori'ets, anil stoats and weasel aro • are allowed by all to be the cheapest and the most self aotmg mode of dealing- with rabbits.' Your Committee, therefore, are at a loss to conceive on what grounds the Government have decided to dis continue the purchase of ferrets bred in the Colony, and also to cease the importation of stoats and woasels, Your committeo. believe that this course will provo a great national calamity, and they strongly urge the Government to reconsider the matter, and beg them to encourage tho breeding of ferrets in every possible manner, as well as to continue the importation of stoats and weasels in large and continuous numbors, As distemper at times carries off largo numbers of ferrets, it is very important that efforts should he made to ascertain whether inoculation could not bo resorted to with good effect. Tho Committeo further recommend that private individuals and associations should receive the samo concession as that now extended to Babbit Boards, namely, £1 for £1 as subsidy 011 tho amount raised by thorn for importing tho natural enemy. It being almost impossible to carry out concurrently, with advantage, tho use of the natural enemy and the employment of men with large packs of dogs and traps, such means should he discouraged as much as possiblo wherever the natural enemy has been fairly established. Fencing baa j been tried in North and South Canterbury and Hitwkes Bay, so far, with unqualified success. Taking into consideration the trouble and hardship that small settlers in the neighbourhood of large tracts of uncultivated land are subject to from the incursion of rabbits,the Committee suggest to tho Government that assistance should bo given to enable thorn to protect themselves, by supplying them wire netting fencing on easy terms, without interest; and by carrying tho material free of cost Tho evidence taken boforo tho Committeo is of a very contradictory character, and proves conclusively that 110 hard and fast rule can be laid down for tho destruction of rabbits. Tho methods used must vary with tho varying conditions; but in order that these conditions should be understood by those entrusted with the carrying out of tho Act,the Committee think it very important that the officers should bo removed as little as possiblo from 0110 district to another, - Where Babbit Boards exist the powers and duties of Inspectors ought to be defined. In theso cases the district inspector ought to have a seat ex officio on the board, but not'to be chairman; and ho should bo held responsible for the suppression of the rabbits in the board's district. Again, iuiprisoinneut should be an alternative penalty for removing live rabbits from one locality to another, and rewards should bo offered for information that will insure conviction for such offence. Tho Committeo aro of opinion that the Babbit Nuisance Act, 188G, should b# amendod in tho above directions, Your Committee recommend that tho island of Motuhihi, situated in the Auckland Harbour, and known as quarantine island, should at onco be declared a quarantine ground for imported stock. Your Committee further recommend that, in tho case of tho petitions of George Boss and James Doris, which tho Committee have partly inquired into, tho-* Committeo are of opinion that the 1 Government should cause full inquiry to bo made into the matters reforred to, by some one outsido of the department,"