33 



Sheep Act which had never miscarried. The inspector under that Act could make an estimated return if 

 he considered a run under-estimated, and there could be an appeal to the Sheep Board, but very little of 

 this was done because it was un necessary. He did not think that they could pass a better resolution on 

 this subject than that proposed by Mr. Alison. 



Mr. BACON (Brewarrina) considered that there had been some misapprehension as to the meaning 

 of Mr. Alison's motion. They had decided yesterday how public lands and agricultural lands should be 

 rated. The unstocked lands were the only lands they had not dealt with. There were a number of 

 runs that had been abandoned, because they were overun with rabbits, and these unstocked lands they 

 wanted to assess, lie took it that was the meaning of Mr. Alison's motion, and in making his provision 

 so very elastic, he had shown a desire to meet the wishes of the people. 



The CHAIRMAN said that the motion would come after subsection (d), page 7 : " That all owners 

 and lessees who may make no returns, or who shall make what in the opinion of the Board are misleading 

 or inadequate returns, may be summoned before the Board, and the Hoard shall have the power to rate 

 or increase their returns at a rate not exceeding one sheep to 1 acre, with a right of appeal to the Court 

 of Petty Sessions " 



Question put and carried. 



Clause 4. 



Itabliit Districts. 



4. For the purposes of this Act, New South Wales shall be divided into District?, 

 hereinafter referred to as Rabbit Districts. 



The Districts into which New South Wales may from time to time be divided for the 

 purposes of the Diseases in Sheep Acts shall be Districts for the purposes of this Act, but the 

 operation of this provision shall be subject always to the powers next hereinafter conferred on 

 the Minister. 



The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette 



(a) declare that any Borough or Municipal District shall form a Rabbit District ; or 



( b) combine two or more Sheep Districts wholly or in part into one Rabbit District ; or 



(c) create Eabbit Districts without reference to the boundaries of any Sheep District; or 

 (d~) alter or modify the boundaries of any Rabbit District. 



Any such notification shall operate and take effect as from the date thereof, but may by 

 notification be corrected, modified, or revoked. 



The lion E. CATCINOTON (Jerildcrie) said he wished to go back to clause 4, which had been 

 postponed, because it dealt with the defining of tho Rabbit District. 



Mr. A. Baowtf (Narrabri) moved that "all municipalities and towns where infested by rabbits 

 shall be declared separate districts, and shall r.ot be attached to any Sheep Districts, even it: adjoining or 

 within the boundaries of Sheep Districts." There were some towns in Rabbit Districts that would almost 

 out-vote tho Districts, and not being Municipalities they would not come within the clause which referred 

 to the Municipalities, therefore, he moved the resolution which would include the towns. 



Mr. BROOKES (Boggabri) seconded the resolution. 



Mr. OAKDEX (Cobar) begged first to move that the clause as far as the word " Minister" should 

 be passed. 



Mr. FLANAGAN (Gunbar) seconded the motion, which was passed. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) thought Mr. Brown's motion would destroy clause 13. He thought the 

 words should be added at the end of subsection A . 



Mr. FLANAGAN (Gunbar) wished to know what Mr. Brown meant by a town. 



Mr. BROWN (Narrabri) : Where there was a small town where the people paid no rates or very 

 little, he wanted theso towns taken out of the district, or otherwise they would outvote the rest of the 

 holders of land in the vicinity in the rabbit district. 



Mr. C. BOSTON (Wagga Wagga) wished Mr. Brown to put in the words " town or village." 



Mr. BKOWN (Narrabri) accepted this, and altered his amendment so as to read, " municipalities, 

 towns, or villages." 



Mr. GIBSON (Hay) hoped Mr. Brown would accept a further amendment, and put in at the end 

 tho words, " with the consent of the Pastures and Stock Boards." He took it that many landowners 

 adjoining some of these small villages would be content to kill the rabbits within the village reserves if 

 they had the power, because they were a standing menace to the whole district. 



Mr. BROWN (Narrabri) agreed to accept Mr. Gibson's amendment. 



Mr. TAYLOR (Lands Department) said it seemed to him the discussion .was rather superfluous. 

 The clause provided that the Minister might create rabbit districts without reference to the boundaries 

 of any sheep district. Surely they might take that as an argument that the Minister would take care to 

 proclaim districts in the interests of the landowners. 



Mr. FREEMAN thought it was far safer to have the whole thing defined. They knew how the 

 word "may" had aated against them in the past in different Acts of Parliament. They wanted the word 

 "shall" put in, so that it shall be fixed without Ministerial power that all the districts should be pro- 

 claimed, and in addition he proposed a further amendment to Mr. Brown's motion, and that was to insert 

 after the word " villages " the words " population areas." 



Mr. BROWN (Narrabri) said he would also accept that amendment. 



The Honorable RUPERT CAEINOTON (Jerilderie) wished to know if they included a town which 

 had no power of rating its inhabitants how were they going to make them destroy the rabbits? 



Mr. OAKDEV (Cobar) said it had been proposed that population areas might also be handed over 

 to the Pastures and Stock Boards. Within those areas a great proportion of the people would pay no 

 rates while others would. How were they going to arrive at the voting power which was to give these 

 people representation ? This was a very important clause, and should receive a great deal of considera- 

 tion before they went to a vote. 



Mr. TREFFLE (Temora) thought Mr. Brown's proposal, without the last addition to it, suited tho 

 Conference splendidly. If they introduced population areas it would lead to enormous mistakes. They 

 32 E should 



