SOUTH AUCKLAND CATTLE BOARD.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1233, 25 May 1880, Page 2

SOUTH AUCKLAND CATTLE BOARD.

A meeting of the Board was held at the Farmers' Club, Cambridge, oil Saturday. Present : Messrs & Maclean (Chairman), A. A. Fantham, Storey, Buttle, and Fcrgusson. Mr Naden, M.R.C.V.S.L., and Inspector Runciman were in attendance. ' Tlie minutes of the previous meeting having been confirmed, The Clerk read sever.il telegrams connected with the routine work of the Board,, A telegram from the Government was read, stating that, in accordance with a resolution of the Board, Mr Gersc's services in the Waikato had been dispensed with. The following letter was also received :—: — Euicka, May 20, 1880. To the Chairman South Auckland Cattle Jioaid. Sir, — I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your two communications dated May 15th. In answer to the first I may state that the Waikato Land Association are, and always ha\ebecn, ready and willing to assist in removing the soveic restrictions under which their neighbors are suffering. ' It would be impossible to keep the whole of the Company's cattle away from their boundary; but I promise, on behalf of the Company, to isolate all beasts which we bclie\ c to be infected, and to keep them at a distance from the public roads. The construction of a fence round the Company's properLy, at a distance of 500 yards from the present boundary, would be a woi k of \ast expense and many months labor. I could do nothing in this matter without the advice of the Directors. In your second letter jou state that your Inspector, when last at Eureka, noticed the graves of four cattle which were, in his opinion, not bin ied at a sufficient depth. If jour Inspector had been courteous enough to enquire, he would have found that these four cattle had been killed on suspicion and found healthy. On the day previous to the last visit of the Inspectors I had two mobs of cattle mustered ready for them ; but afrer w.iiting (myself and three assistants) for thiee hours, thought it advisable to put back the cattle in the paddocks. It seems to me that it would only ha\e been common courtesy to have sent a messenger to me, but it appears that instead or this the Inspectors thought lit to pa) .1 pi i\ ate \ lsit the follow - ing day without ,1113' intimation of the same. This was obviously a \ery undtuhand pioceeding, as I asked Mr N-ulen to sec the same lot a week or so prior to this \ lsit. ■Tin* ne\t day, as I was returning fiom Woodlands, I met Messis Runciman and Naden on their way there, and had they asked me about the foui graves, or for any information icspecting the cattle, I should have been quite willing to comply with their requests. After hearing the Inspet tors' e\traordinary report com crning the cattle at Waitak.uuru, I thought it best to remove them to a considerable distance from the public roads. — I have, &c, Hi:\ky Ri^xoids. Mr Fantham considered that if small land-owners could manage to keep their cattle isolated it ought not to be impossible for large estate-holders to do so No action was taken on the letter. Some discussion then ensued as to the advisability or otherwise of taking the restrictions off portions of the Waikato country, and it was resolved — 'I hat the highway distru ts of Cambiidge, r.imaheie, and the North-western poitiun ol the distiict ol K'nikirnoa be declared free liom the exiting lestnctions on the isth June nc\t, piovided the Inspectors see no objection ; the boundaries ot the last-named place to be defined b) ih Inspectoi Runciui in. The Chairman s-aid it would be understood by the inspector that a portion of the Kinkiriroa district in the direction of the Eureka Station should be included if practicable. In connection with this subject, Inspector Runciman &aid he had received a letter from Mr Ellison, alvirifcinroa settler, btating that two of his cattle had grot 011 the Swamp Company's land, hut they had not mixed with any su&pected cattle, and he therefore asked for permission to bring them back on his farm. The request had not been aceeeded to. Mr Fergusbon said this was what ho feared would bo the caM\ They could not tell how many similar caoes might occur in which the parties concerned would not, take the trouble of asking the consent of the inspector, but would bring therh back. He certainly thought Mr Ellison's application should not be aceeeded to. Mr Buttle said if people were likely to acb in the way hint r d by Mr Ferguson, the fact of the district being declared infected made no difference. Mr Fantham said the ouly way to meet such a difficulty was to prohibit any of the settlers sending cattle to the public sales. Inspector liunciman said the only difficulty in the way of removing the restrictions from the Cambridge and Tamahere districts at once was the presence of the suspected native cattle at the latter place. He intended to visit them again 111 a few days. Mr Naden said he had been applied to by the natives for permission to remove these cattle to Matamata, but had, ot course, refused until he had further inspected them. Mr Fantham drew the attention nf the Board to the great hardships which the cattle-owners in the town ot Cambridge su tiered from, by being obliged to keep their cattle shut up. He was ot opinion that with certain restrictions they might be released. Of course no cattle sales ought to be held at the public yards for some time. He would mo\ ce — '■ That the restrictions be removed from the Cambridge Town Board district under the following conditions' viz. :—: — 1. Iheevut number ot cattle to be stated to the Inspector, Mi Xaden. 2. \II 1 attle to be inspected previous to being tinned out on the 11111. 3. All 1 attle turned out to be in 11 Led in .1 distinct manner so that they m.n be known; the style of 111 irking to be lett to the Lnspn tor. (. Anyounei allowing; his cattle to go outside the town belt without .in oidei to be liable to piosecution. v lh.it they shall be inspected on tea week at a teitain plate to be named by the Inspectoi . t>. Ynv tattle not maiked found upon the town bt It to be taken to the pound, and the ownei pioset utetl. 7. ihat the lown JJoard do not allow public cattle sales 111 Cambiidge until thej receive peimission horn the Hoa-id. 8. That the cattle turned out on the run be in charge ot some person, to pi event them shaving beyond the limits of the town belt. Mr Fergu&son thought there ought to be some one appointed to look atter the cattle to see that they did not stray beyond the limits of the Town Belt. Mr Storey considered that as the Town Belt received the grazing fees they ought to provide a ranger. In answer to the Chairman, Inspector Runciman said he had no objection to declaring the town of Cambridge I free from tbe restrictions, and the motion having been duly seconded, it was carried. On the motion of Mr Fergusson, seconded by Mr Storey it was resolved "That the restrictions be taken off the Pukekura Highway District, with the exception of Mr Burkes farm at Pukerimu. Mr Naden reported that he had received a letter lrom Messrs Hunter and Nolan, complaining that the stationmasters on the railway were asking for permits for all cattle from the Waikato. He considered that permits were not now required. It was resolved to &cc into the matter as permits were now unnecessary except in cases when cattle were from infected district. The following report was read : — 22nd May, 1880. To the Chairman of the South Auckland Cattle Koaid. Sill, — I have the honor to report, since the last meeting of your Board, I again visited the native cattle at Tamahere. The cattle looked more healthy than they did the last time I saw them, but several have still a cough. On the 21st I \isited the iarm of Mr Burke, at Pukerimu. Saw 51 head. I did not sec any appearance of pleuro. The two beasts that I saw when there last appear to have iccovered. Also on 21st I \ibtcd Mr D. McNicol's heid, at Ohaupo— 07 hoad. I did not sec appeal ante of pleuro. The two beasts I mentioucd in my last leport appear to have much impioved in appealancc—l have, &c, John Runcimw, Ins>pevtov of Cattle.

Mr. J. P. Campbell, chairman of the Town Board, hero waited on the Board and was informed of the steps taken concerning the town of Cambridge. He expressed his satisfaction with the terms of the resolution and promised that no public sales would be held without the consent of the Cattle Board. After some further discussion on general matters. v Mr. Fantham gave notice to move at the next meettng of the Board "that the parties known to have had Pleuro-pneu-monia on their fauns and not having given the proper notice to this Board be proceeded against by the Inspector in a court of law." It was x-esolved that the meetings of the Board stand adjourned until such time as the chairman may think necessary, the next meeting to be notified by two advertisements in the Waikato Times. Some accounts having been passed the Board rose.