The Waikato Times. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political Here shall the Press the People's righ maintain. Unawed by influcence and unbribed by gain. TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1877.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 751, 10 April 1877, Page 2

The Waikato Times. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political Here shall the Press the People's righ maintain. Unawed by influcence and unbribed by gain. TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1877.

A country settler complains of the extortionate fee placed by the Wa'.ka|o County Council,- in. .their recently published by-laws, pn, the slaughtering of sheep, namely, pne ■shil,li,ng each per head. . It istrjae, we believe, that this is the price' charged in the Auckland, slaughterhbuses, but that it must be remembered, is not merely a tax, but is the cost of slaughtering and cleaning the animal made by ; the slaughtpi--,'house owner to the butcher ustngjit. Of course, a fee' of one shilling- per head on the slaughtering of sheep' would come out of the farmers pocket. The butcher would give! so much the less for the :' animal, ajnd probably make it 'an- excuse, for dearer meat to the purchaser also. As a mere fee, and not -a charge for work done as in the cases above referred to, our correspondent, Waipa,- '• were such a fee absolutely fixed by the Council, would carry with him the sympathy, in this matter atleasi:^ of the great, bulk of the 1 settlers, who would, in such, case, Took", upon the by-rlaw as practically a taxing machine of a shilling pef" head ujjon all sheep sold to the butoliara •»" tUc Gcamiiy- I_. A reference to the by-laws themselves will show; ' qur correspondent that the dreaded infliction is more imaginary than real. The fees mentioned in clause .14 for every ram, wether, ewe, lamb, boar, sow, or pig slaughtered, one shi ling, and one shilling and six- , pence for every calf, are not intended 10 be levied, but are simply mentioned as the maximum charge,- --' which it shall be possible for -the Council, to levy. That body may make them as much less as th°y chose, but not a penny more. Still, however, as it is possible for them to exact the maximum amount stated, and as the fixing the sum mentioned as the maximum amount may be taken by many to iulicate the mind, of the present Council on the sub-' ject, the letter of " Waipa " cannot be said to be uncalled for, nor his remarks out of place.

The Thames ( ounty Council, we notice, lias just published it's by-laws, and amougst them are those relating to slaughter-houses. All slaughterhouses, used for slaughtering cattle &c. other than the property of the owner of the building, and, if special notice be given, for slaughter-houses

used for the slaughtering of the owuers cattle also, need to be licensed. The annual license fee is fixed at not less than £5, nor more than £25, the difference probably being caused by the (act that in the Thames County a slaughter-house might be used for the convenience and trade of some thousands of people, as at Grahamstown, or of some few hundred only, as elsewhere. No special tax as in the case c-f the Waikato County is imposed.