The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 969, 7 September 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1878.

Equal and exact justice to all men, v s Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.

* ••''-*'■■• * : - : * * Here shall the Press the People's right

maintain, (Jnawed by influence and anbribed by ' gain. :

Tite Waikato scab esse is not, as many had supposed, after being made a nine days wonder, to be allowed to die out. The petition which was so numerously signed throughout the Waikato has been laid on the table< and Mr Sheehan has in reply to Mr McMinn stated that the subject was one of so much importance that the depositions and correspondence connected with the case should be laid before members

I ani tlv.it the matter should rece'.vo ! I the attention of the House. So far tihj satisfactory, hut TJcefeiy that if, as f om \uie\ of J the case must almost 'follow, the matter id to a comrait'ee \ caro will be ex- - the question shall not ;ate of too many griev,rerred to commiites to be reported upon. It is a matter of so much importance to a large and m^"^cultm•al* w S I Hd' , ' pTcroml* district, that it deserves something more than the mere perfunctory env®B , feig:»Cbi^s.^i^ , largely if not. altogether flockowners, -will -enable them to frouv, j,he hut |r i ppi J t^es»i t i'rpandi,.gs ! o f case, apart fioro the Police Court evidence altogelheV, Us' Avhat ; is ■ 'needed^ cwaA.i ifj M-J JgUjt ■ {.would ;\yj.sh ;i .t6 still, further strengthen his case he could take no better step than that, of again palliug upon the local inspector, to examine"tlie balance.of 'his flock^'slilflippnf|hp'!farm, ancl|by proving; therft (i c)pau ( nowjishow.how utterly impossible it could have beau that they were' scabby 'sc »rcely' six months ago—nb s6ab having broken out; and n'd f steps having been taken meantime" to eradicate, the i £cab alleged ,hv. thp Auckland inspector to have existed-ia.mongsb them. TKer case is .not that of Mr Jolly; but of Waikato. The whole district has been; iplace'd Under a' ban and isuffered greitfous; injury by the demnation of Mr Jolly's flook, and if that condemnation,. was made un{ justly it is due to the sheeppwners of Waikato and indeed of every district which, sends its sheep io the Auckland market that such steps shall ,be taken; asA will prevent the recurrence of -•&'- mistake« the effects of which are to depreciate the value hotmerelybf'a single ftock but of every flock in the district; This depreciation has' already been been felt by Waikato settlers. The flocks of Waikato are many of them tljs newest blpodinthe 6oloayi ind?'(h% are continually realising, as stud stock for exportation to other parts of New Zealand, extraordinary high liricea- But; if the imputation of; the existence of? scajjj'in.;.the district is to cet and, worse still, if the certificate af the local Inspector that the owners 'flock is clean is to cany with it no assurance of freedom from this disease, our sheep will be as much shunned as they have beep hitherto sought after. And this is really wblat leaving the matter as it now stands would amount to. Mr Jolly held a certificate of the cleanness of his flock'from Mr John Runoimaii — yet on the showing or Supposed'showing of scab by the Auckland Inspector, he is harrassed with law,proceedings pnt to consider able trouble and ' expense, and'his flock under the'lmputation of disease. \ nd,, if this "be the- 1 case in the instance of one,farmer's shpep, people at a distance will naturally,argue that it may be so -in Ihe case of others n the same district, and thus ihe whole 'of Waikaty comes, under lie curbe, ; Either' Mr Lewi* is rio-ht and -Mr Kunciman wrong, or vice versa, and the Waikato pqtitipners .ask, and'Vask fairly, that! the],, fact ; :; tp which U righCj>4idd t v which is wrong, should be decisively-settled by some competent tribunal. An appeal to the superior Court could only be made on a, technical point and -whether that had been decided for oragain'st the appellant l\ave affected ;Vthe; What iite; .petitioDersjiiwanta is a clear certificate flfbr Waikato,;'that the certificate of their lofi&l jlrispector t6;it'that'stamp of authority which the upholdidg of the Auckland Inspector's opinion by a police magistrate »in Auckland has, as we have shown, practically weakened.

meet tJafljP*

We trust''then that in referring tbe matter to a select committee, should that resort be adopted by the Assembly, it will be done with the full understanding of tbe importance of the case, that it is a public as .well as a private grievance, affecting not merely }Mr Jolly ;S but the flock of every Waikato settler, and that what 1 is done be done quickly, with the view to immediate action by the Government for the remedy of the

grievance.