"THE BRANDS ACT, l88l." 



The laws regulating the branding of live stock, and providing for the registration 

 of brands, are consolidated in "The Brands Act, 1 88 1," and came into operation on the 

 first day of January, 1882. This act compels every owner of cattle and horses to 

 have a brand, which must be registered, and penalties are provided for neglecting to 

 brand. A justice of the peace may authorise any person to drive in and impound any 

 unbranded cattle above one year old, and horses above two years old, which may be 

 at large in the bush, and these may be sold if unclaimed ; should proof of ownership 

 be established, however, prior to the sale, the property is protected. 



Owners of sheep may also register fire and wool brands, and ear marks ; this is 

 not compulsory, but such brands and marks are protected. 



Persons convicted of branding stock not their property, or defacing brands on 

 stock, are punished by imprisonment. 



SCAB IN SHEEP. 



Although no cases of scab have been reported in Western Australia since May, 

 1895, "The Scab Act, 1891," is still in force, and gives almost unlimited power to the 

 inspectors of sheep. This act provides that the owner must muster his sheep at any 

 time if called upon to do so by an inspector ; that the owner who obstructs an 

 inspector in the exercise of his duties is guilty of an offence ; that a list of diseased 

 flocks must be published every month in the Government Gazette; that at the 

 entrance of every diseased run must be posted the notice : " Scab on this run "; that 

 notice of infection must be given to the inspector or resident magistrate of a district 

 within forty-eight hours thereafter ; that infected runs must be quarantined ; that 

 flocks must be dipped as often as an inspector shall require and direct ; that infected 

 flocks must be shepherded during the day, and folded at night ; that any infected or stray 

 suspected sheep may be destroyed ; that the carcases of such sheep must be destroyed ; 

 that the cost of carrying out the act be defrayed by owners by contribution fixed each 

 year by the Governor in Council ; that every owner must furnish a return to the 

 resident magistrate of the number of sheep owned by him in that district each year ; 

 that when a district has been declared clean for three years it shall be exempt from the 

 yearly contribution ; that no owner shall be entitled to compensation for sheep de- 

 stroyed under the authority of the act ; that an inspector may burn, without com- 

 pensation, any enclosures or yards in which he may know infected sheep to have been 

 within the preceeding six months. 



