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would not matter if people with only ten or twenty head were exempted from the operation of the provision in question. Section Bof the Bill was to put a stop to that kind of cattle-stealing which consisted in drovers picking up and taking away all beasts as they passed across hundreds, &c. The quintessence of the Bill, however, lay in clauses 9, 10, and 11, which were intended to prevent the sale of cancerous meat; to put a stop to the sale of milk from cows suffering with tuberculosis ; and to insure the destruction and burial of such animals. In preparing the Bill the Australian Acts had been carefully considered, and, after comparing these with the colony's particular requirements, they had laid down in the Bill the lines which were deemed to be the best to go upon. Witness pointed out that in the proposed Act there was no definition of cancer, and said he believed that cattle in nine cases out of ten in which they were regarded as being cancerous were not truly affected with cancer. There were also other diseases which were included under this head, where it would be unwise to eat the flesh of such animals. 62. Hon. the Chairman.] Could you suggest a definition then ? —I would like to think the matter over. It was agreed that the witness should do so. Mr. Pasley wished to add that, in his opinion, the provision in clause 8 of the Bill was as necessary in the case of cattle as it was in that of sheep. Mr. R. C. Pasley, Inspector of Sheep, examined. Witness : I have seen the Cattle Bill which has just been introduced. At present there are no means of dealing effectively and conveniently with cancerous cattle without specially removing the cattle. It is therefore necessary to give power to the Inspectors to deal with individual instances of disease without having to proclaim the whole district as being infected ?—Yes ; I have observed that the Bill contains a provision for taxing cattle at the rate of 2d. per head, which has not been recommended by the conference of inspectors. The Hon. the Minister of Lands explained that the Bill had not originated entirely with the inspectors. A good deal recommended by them had been worked into it; but it also contained provisions not embraced by their recommendations. Witness: I was chairman of the first meeting of inspectors about two years ago, and that meeting had discussed and recommended some of the provisions in the Bill. Tuberculosis does not prevail to any great extent in the colony, but it is necessary to provide means for dealing with it. I cannot say, of my own experience, that it is increasing, but I have heard of its doing so in other parts of the colony. I cannot say how many cases there may be in my own district, Hawke's Bay. I have not had personally any experience with tuberculosis, and I go chiefly by what I have heard. 63. By Mr Kerr.] I do not think I ever saw a case of the disease in the Wairau, or the Wairau District. Witness : Preventive measures are certainly advisable. As to compensating the owners of animals destroyed, we considered that question, and we thought that compensation should be granted in such cases to the extent of the full value. The meeting of inspectors in 1888 passed a resolution to that effect. Sale of and traffic in tuberculosic cattle should, I think, be prohibited in whatever stage it is possible to detect the disease in the cattle. 64. By Mr. Lance.} Tuberculosic animals are exposed for sale sometimes, and I think there should be some means for putting a stop to such sales at once. 65. By Hon. Mr. Miller.] Yes, I cousider the disease contagious ;at any rate, its presence in an animal must affect the meat of that animal. I also think that healthy cattle—-that is, cattle free from the disease —are liable to be infected by diseased cattle. 66. By Hon. Mr. Walker.] I also think that there is most decidedly danger in using the milk that is drawn from animals affected by the disease. 67. By Mr. Kerr.] I cannot say this from my own knowledge, but it is perfectly well known that the disease does affect the milk of cows that have it. I have seen a cow with cancer, and the milk of such a cow is, in my opinion, dangerous to children. I do not know whether a cow affected by cancer will give it to other cattle; and I have seen cancerous cattle in the same yard with other cattle tha.t were free from cancer. 68. By Mr. Lawry.} I never saw tuberculosis in Australia, and only knew of it there from hearsay. It is not so prevalent here as in Australia. lam perfectly satisfied that it is infectious, and also hereditary —transmissible by parent to offspring. There is more cancer in cows than in bullocks. I have not noticed it as a result of bad branding, or as marks made upon the rumps of cows when they were being stinted. I have read the Cattle Bill, and Ido not see that a settler need have any difficulty in complying with clause 6. The same thing is now done by every owner of sheep; and I apprehend that the settler will have to give only his own registered brand, and not all the brands and ear-marks which may be on stock which he may have bought from various persons. I cannot say that I know of any means whereby we can detect internal cancer in cows. 69. By the Chairman.] I have not had much personal experience in connection with these diseases. I have examined the Bill, and I think it is desirable that steps should be taken to treat the diseases as suggested. At present the inspectors do not possess the necessary power, and I think the Bill would meet the case and give the inspectors the power required. The proposed tax of 2d. would, I suppose, go into the same fund as the sheep rates—the fund out of which are defrayed the expenses of the Stock Act. There was no reason why cattle owners should be exempt any more than sheepowners, for they too were gainers by rabbit destruction and other work carried on under the Sheep Department.