46 - 



expense of the netting, and the people therefore could not take advantage of this. The people should be 

 allowed to buy netting of the best description as recommended by the Conference, and the Minister should 

 be asked to contribute one half of the cost of erecting the fence. 



Mr. NIXON (Gunbar) had much pleasure in supporting the resolution proposed by Mr. Brown. 

 There was no doubt that where the areas were not too large this would be very beneficial. 



Mr. BRETT (Urana) wished to know if he was in order in proposing an amendment. He begged 

 to move, "That, .as the Minister very kindly offered to assist them, and as this was a very important 

 matter, he should be asked to attend before they decided the matter." The Minister was the largest land- 

 owner amongst thorn, and it was only fair that lie should be present. 



Mr. FJIEEMAN thought the best way out of the difficulty would be to pass the clause as it stood, 

 and then to allow any amendment in the rate of interest to come in afterwards. 



Mr. BRETT (Urana) said he did not think it was fair for them to pass an important amendment 

 like that when the principal man who was interested was absent. 



Mr. TAYLOR (Lands Department) proposed to put in after the word " Minister " the following, 

 " with the consent of the Stock and Pastures Board." 



The question of striking out clause 26 was put to the meeting and carried. 



The question of substituting Mr. Brown's amendment as clause 26 was put to the meeting and 

 carried. 



When the vote on Mr. Brown's amendment was being taken, Mr. Alison asked the Chairman if he 

 would be in order in submitting an amendment in the afternoon with regard to the interest, and the 

 Chairman replied that he would. 



The CHAIRMAN" then reported that he would not bo able to be present in tho afternoon, and would 

 be glad if they would elect some other gentleman to take the chair. 



On the motion of Mr. ALISON, Mr. Oakden was elected Chairman unanimously. 



The Conference then adjourned until 2 p.m. 



On resuming alter lunch, Mr. Oakdeu took the Chair at 2 p.m. 



Mr. T. BROWN, M.L.A. (Budgerabong), wished to know whether they had yet determined the 

 amount of the levies under the Rabbit Act, because he thought that was an important matter, to enable 

 them to decide with regard to the constitution of the Board. 



The CHAIRMAN pointed out that in the Bill it was provided that the maximum levy was to be 4<1. 

 per sheep, according to the stock returns. The levy might be less, but it could not be more. The next 

 business before them was the adjourned consideration of the Honorable Eupcrt Carington's motion. 



Mr. LESLIE (Forbes) said he had intended to ask the ruling of the Chair again with reference to 

 whether they should proceed with that resolution, unless the clause which had already been passed, 

 providing for eight members to constitute the Board, was recommitted ; but he did not desire to place 

 Mr. Oakden in the invidious position of giving a decision contrary to Mr. Lakeman's ruling. He would 

 therefore move, "That this resolution stand over until Mr. Lakeman's return to the Chair." 



The CHAIRMAN said he would ask the Conference not to put him in the position of, perhaps, giving 

 a different ruling to Mr. Lakeman's on this matter. Either the discussion should be adjourned until the 

 return of the Chairman, or he should not be asked to give another ruling. 



Mr. WILKES (Broken Hill) moved a further adjournment until the return of the Chairman to the 

 Chair. 



Mr. FLANAGAN (Gunbar) seconded it. 



The Honorable RUPERT CAEINGTON (Jerilderie) begged to move, " That this motion be considered 

 now." 



Mr. BROOKE (Boggabri) seconded. 



The Honorable Rupert Cariugton's amendment was put and carried bv 20 votes to 14. 



The adjourned discussion of the Honorable Rupert Cariugton's motion, "That the following words 

 bs an addition to clause 5, as amended," was then taken : "For the purpose of administering this Act, only 

 two members be added to the existing Sheep and Stock and Pastures Boards, such members to be elected 

 by the stock-owners and other persons taxed under this Bill ; each stock-owner or tax-payer to have only 

 one vote." 



Mr. ALISON (Canoubar) said he now understood this motion, and he wanted the other members to 

 clearly understand what it implied. The Stock and Pastures Board now consisted of five men elected 

 by the sheep-owners, and three men elected by the large stock-owners. He understood that the Honorable 

 Rupert Caringtou's proposal was that they should remain as at present, and that there should be two 

 additional men who should only act on the Rabbit Board, and who should be voted for by every person 

 who paid towards the Rabbit Fund, and that each person who voted for the Stock and Pastures Board 

 should have only one vote for these two men. It would save a lot of trouble if this motion were carried. 

 It would leave the Pastures and Stock Act as it was, it w'ould leave the Sheep Diseases Act as it was, and 

 for .the purposes of tho Rabbit Act, which they were now considering, it would enable them all to act 

 together, with the addition of two men who would be elected by everybody who paid taxes toward the 

 Rabbit Fund. It would not confuse the other Acts in any way. He was inclined to think that on the 

 whole, it would facilitate the working of the Rabbit Act. The only difficulty he saw about it was this : 

 they had a distinct assurance about it yesterday from the Minister that the Crown must not expect to 

 come in as an ordinary ratepayer, but they must have some arbitrary representation on the Board. He 

 could hardly understand how the Crown was to be represented under this motion. If the Crown 

 nominated one or two representatives, the Board would be swelled to eleven or twelve. If the Honorable 

 Rupert Carington could explain some way out of that difficulty, his decision would be much facilitated. 

 Jf they had two extra members under this motion, and two representing the Minister, it would be twelve. 

 That was a considerable number to pay for. lijgardiiig the franchise, everyone who was a taxpayer under 

 this Bill, even if he only paid taxes up to 2s. Gd., would have a vote on those two extra men, and the 

 franchise for the other members would remain as before. 



Mr. WILKES (Broken Hill) wished to move an amendment : " That, for the purposes of this Act, the 

 meaning of the Pastures and Stock Boards shall be tho Pastures and Stock Board under the Pastures and 

 Stock Act, with the addition of two members appointed under this Act by the Governor-iu-Council on the 

 recommendation of the Minister." His reason for moving this was that the Minister must be represented. 

 He was as much for the small owner as any of them ; but he could not stand there and see them go by at 



the 



