Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1895. "STATE HORSE DEALINGS."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5033, 23 May 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1895. "STATE HORSE DEALINGS."

Tun Government, with the best intentions in the world, is interesting itself in all kinds of trade and adventures. We did not imagine that it would enter upon such a doubtful onlerpiise as horse dealing, but it is doing so, and the following circular will be perused with interest by many of our readers : DKPAimnxr or Aoincn.iniE. (Lire Slock Jlmnrli.) AVki.lixotox, N,J5., lorn Mat, ]8!)5, I am direclcdbylhc Hon. thcMinislcr of Agriculture to inform you that the Government have decided to assist in an experimental shipment or shipments of suitable Horses to test the Home markets, The oll'er is, that half the freight (which will not include cost of fodder or '' attendance) will he guaranteed, and, ' should the shipment not realise snlli. ; cicnt to cover the total cost, including ' freight, insurance, fodder, and eommis- ' sion on sales, the Government will, on receipt of the account sales with full particulars, through the Agent-General, ! be prepared to make up the deficiency to the extent as above slated, The conditions are that the horses arc valued and approved of prior to shipment, and consist of a proportion of upstanding harness, hunter, and heavy draught geldings, not exceeding six years of age. •Should you be willing to join, jn an experiment at shipment, I shall 1)6 pleased to hear from ypu. ' .'■■■■ John D, Erreiiiji, Chief Inspector of Stock, One would think that there are enough horse dealers already in the colony without the Hon. John lieJ(,e)me .chipping in! Ip England, there is, a gtjifc official, entitled (ilio " Master of the Hwsp," but tjm qjijee , of" Minister of the Horse" is nor- | tainly a novel one, Wo hope this , new venture will, for the sake of the ; colony, prove ut success] but wo have ] some doubt on the subject. It is I quite possiblo to export horses t" 1 England at a profit, but thoro.nre very few men in the colony possessing the special knowledge required to carry through an undertaking of this kind to ut successful issue. It may be easy enough to land horses in London, but unless they were pro-1 p-ly caret} for after landing, fed.

groomed and exercised for a few weeks before boingputin the market, they would not sell to advantage, Tlio experiment is worthy of a trial, but it would bo bettor in tho hands of recognised experts than under State control. If the trial shipment succeeds, a new market will havo been opened up for certain classes of horses, but the chances aro that the results will be disappointing. There ■ are, perhaps, one or two men in tho . colony who could tab a mob of horses to England and dispose of them at a profit, men who have had a special experience of this particular business, and w ho have sneceeded with shipments to Australia; but the chances are that these experts ; would not be selected by the GovernI ment for its proposed venture. If the 1 Department had a practical grip of horse dealing, it would have announced that the experimental shipment would be under the charge | of some person well-known to horse- . owners. Were a really competent person named in connection with the i venture, horse-owners would have some confidence in taking a risk in it. Apparently the Department has not thought out the difficulties of the . undertaking, or this vital point would not have been overlooked. We shall be glad to sec the present experiment a success, although the principle of taxing the Colony for the benefit of horse-owners is an obviously unsound one, The Government, we admit, displays willingness , to help all sorts and conditions of men at theoxponsoof the community. This is nolslatesmanship, but rather the old-fashioned expedient of robbing Peter to pay Paul.