36 



The CHAIRMAN thought they ought to make the Act as clastic as they possibly could ; and 

 he thought the Minister should have the right to alter the boundaries if it was in the interests of every- 

 body. He did not think the Minister would attempt to alter a boundary without the consent of the 

 Stock Protection Board. 



The motion on being put was lost. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) wished to move that the following words be added to subsection "C": 

 " On the recommendation of the Stock Protection Board." He did not quite follow what was the power 

 of the Minister in creating rabbit districts without reference to the boundaries of sheep districts. 



Mr. A. BROWN seconded the motion. 



Mr. LESLIE (Forbes) did not think there was any necessity for that. In every instance the 

 Minister had referred the matter to the Board for advice. He did not think the Minister should be tied 

 down by hard and fast rules. 



Mr. GIBSON (Hay) thought the subsection should be left as it stood. It might be advisable to 

 use a rabbit fence as a boundary, and although a certain member might desire it another might not 

 agree, and the Minister could not then alter the boundaries. 



Mr. TREFLE (Temora) thought the whole power should be left in the bauds of the Minister. 



Mr. WILKES (Broken Hill) thought the subsection should be left out ; it was giving the Minister 

 for Lands powers that now belonged to his colleague, the Minister for Mines. 



The motion 011 being put was lost. 



Subsections "C" and "D" were then passed as printed. 



The CHAIRMAN read a telegram from Mr. Alexander Oliver, the President of the Land Court, 

 offering his services as draftsman. He suggested a vote of thanks should be accorded Mr. Oliver, and, if 

 necessary, his services should be made use of. 



Mr. A. BROWN (Narrabri) said he had much pleasure in proposing that the thanks of the 

 Conference be conveyed to Mr. Oliver, and that the Conference would gladly avail themselves of his offer 

 if required. 



Mr. NIXON seconded the proposal, which was carried unanimously. 



Mr. CAMERON (Ivanhoe) proposed that they should continue the sittings up to 5 o'clock. 



The CIFAIEMAN pointed out that the two gentlemen who were taking notes had very heavy 

 work to do, and he did not think they could possibly get through any more. 



The Conference then adjourned until 10 o'clock the following day. 



FOURTH DAY 12m MARCH, 1897. 



The Conference met at 10 a.m., Mr. A. Lakeman in the Chair. 



The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. 



The CHAIRMAN reported that he had sent a letter to the Minister, thanking Mr. A. Oliver through 

 him for his kind offer to draft the Bill for the Conference. 



Mr. LITTLE (Bullock Creek) moved that the Conference should sit on until 5 o'clock. Ho said 

 they seemed to be doing nothing but wasting time. He did this so as to give those who wished to do so a 

 chance of making arrangements to leave town. 



Mr. FLANAGAN (Gunbar) seconded. 



The CHAIRMAN pointed out that the reason they usually adjourned at 4 o'clock was that certain 

 printing had to be done for the Conference, and the gentleman who was taking the notes had to do his 

 work after they left. He would put the motion without discussion. 



Mr. LITTLE'S (Bullock Creek) motion was then put and lost by a large majority. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) suggested that the next thing they should do was to go on with the 

 question of the voting power. 



Mr. WILKES (Broken Hill) thought they must next proceed to amend the Pastures and Stock Act. 



The CHAIRMAN said that his view was that they should pass what they considered to be an equitable 

 franchise, and then the proper course, in his opinion, would be to ask Mr. Oliver to draft a clause on that 

 franchise showing how the Pastures and Stock Act could be brought into line in this matter. He thought 

 that before they dealt with anything else they should decide as to what the constitution of the Pastures 

 and Stock Boards should be. It had eight members now, they should decide whether that was sufficient 

 or too many. He would ask some gentleman to make a proposition as to what should be the constitution 

 of the Board. 



Mr. A I.I.SON (Canonbar), in order to bring something before the meeting would move that notwith- 

 standing anything in the Stock and Pastures Act to the contrary, the voting power for Directors shall be 

 estimated on the basis of payment equal to 300 sheep. 



The Hon. EUPERT CAIUNGTON (Jerilderie) considered this to be the most important part of their 

 business. They had all of them determined that there should be proper representation of thojae who were 

 taxed. He proposed, in the motion on the business paper in his name, that two members be added to the 

 present Stock and Pastures Board for the purpose of representing those who were taxed, either in stock 

 or on their lands. He considered that that would fully safeguard the rights of the so-called " smaller 

 men." They would have a vote for the Stock and Pastures Protection Board, and they would have a vote 

 for these two new members that he proposed to add. He also wished to point out that for these two new 

 members the franchise should be practically on the principle of one man one vote, or rather, one tax-payer 

 one vote. He thought it would have advantages, because it would constitute another tribunal to deal with 

 the rabbits. Of course he had carefully put it in his amendment that these two gentlemen should only sit 

 while the Stock and Pastures Protection Board were sitting as the Rabbit Board. They would be elected 

 for the special purpose of guarding those who wore taxed. He hoped they would not import any feeling 

 into the matter because it was absolutely necessary, if this Bill were Lo pass, that this question should be 

 settled practically unanimously. It would strengthen the Minister's position very much, and he thought 

 the proposal was fair to everybody, and would, he supposed, from what the Minister had said yesterday, 

 be accepted by him. Of course with regard to the Government being represented on the Board, that 



must 



