The Waikato Times

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1087, 12 June 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or ■oolitical. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, tJnawed by influence and unbribed by gain. THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1379. The resolution of the Borough Council of Hamilton, adopted at the instauce of Mr Potter, to take immediate steps for the establishment of a public abattoir is a wise' and necessary one, not only m the interest of the borough, by enabling it' to secure a revenue from the slaughtering- of great and small cattle, but a as means of exercising a control over the slaughtering of cattle and sheep, which m the case of private slaughter-yards does not at present exist. Proper and complete registers will be kept of skins and hides, ' and the fact of cattle being killed; elsewhere except for private use, will not only be a breach of the by-laws, buthjust ground for suspicion of more serious crime.. For it has become notorious that more meat finds its way to the consumer, than the grazier has ever been paid for, m spite of such precautions as are at present available. During the Jast session of.Parliament, a very U3eful measure was brought before the legislature, but, like some others of the same character, was allo .ved to drop after having been fully discussed m the Legislative Conncil — the object being simply to give a wide publicity to its provisions previously to its a,gain being brought forward m the next session, and to elicit some expression of opinion upon them by the Members of the Upper House, who are many of them specially qualified to adjudicate on rural matters, • and who have more time to give attention to the discussion of merely tentative measures than the members of, the Lowor House. The Brands Registration Acfc when taken m conjunction wjth the establishment of public abattoirs will render cattle and sheep-stealing m any district a matter less easily carried on than it has been. At present branding is a matter too loosely attended to. There is nothing to prevent two or more persons using the same brand or brands of a character which defy such accurate desaription that they can be nnder all circumstances recognised and sworn too. Nor have we altogether done with the old '" frying-pan brand" as it has not inaptly baen called, which covers up all beneath it. There is nothing to prevent a man using a blotch of tar or raddle or paint as his individual brand m the case of sheep, and such a brand might very easily ' be made a means of obliterating other and smaller brands of clear description made with the same material. The measure brought forward last session, and which we trust will not be lost sight of, whatever tho press of business may be m the coraing* one, provided fully for this. Owners of stock will be compelled to register their brands under a penalty for neglect and no two brands will be registered, which m the opinion of the Jttegister may be likely to lead to mistakes or confusion ; and after any stockowner has . registered a brand, any peison m the same district using 1 such brand or any brand too nearly like it without his authority becomes liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds, and the brand will bo taken as prima facie ownership of the animal. All sheep above the age of six months must Be branded with the registered brand of the owner, and the brand be renewed from time to time as it becomes illegible under a penalty of ten pounds for every sheep thus un- \ branded, but there is nothing m, the \ Act to iauke the branding of cattlo \ compulsory. The interpretation of ! " biiindiiijv" i< givoo :«s follows 1 : In ] fcVif- ciso of aifillo tbo burning with a j branding iron into the skin or on the i horn, and m the case of sheep, a wool brand made- with pitch, tar, j paint, raddle, lamp-black mixed <

vith oil or tallow, or other suitable mbstances, m letters, figures or )therwise, tiot less than two inches a length, on the sides, back, shoulders, hip, or rump ; and also an ear nark by cutting, splitting,' or punching the ear, but so that m ho ?nse more than one-third part of Lhe whole ear from the tip thereof shall be removed or a fire brand on horn or cheek. The branding of sheep was proposed to be made compulsory, no doubt to enable proof of swnership to be established where unclean sheep might stray amongst slean flocks to the detriment of the latter, but though the branding of cattle is not made compulsory, all who chose might by branding and registering their brands, avail themselves of the protection afforded by the .Act. Without the establishment of public abattoirs, however, very much of such protection would be lost.