46 



REPORT OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATION 



No. 65 



Lincoln Concluded. 



MARES BRED TO DIFFERENT CLASSES OF STALLIONS. 



There were a fair number present at the meeting, held at St. Cathar- 

 ines, November 17th. The majority of the speakers seemed to think that 

 something ought to be done to try to improve the present condition of the 

 horse industry, and a motion was carried in favor of an act being passed 

 by the Government, giving the stallion owner a lien on the mare, and also 

 on the colt until the service fee was paid. They also passed a motion in' 

 favor of an Inspection Act, and the majority appeared to be in favor of not 

 allowing any^ stallion to stand for public service that was not registered in 

 the recognized stud book of the breed to which it belonged, one speaker 

 stating that all horses should be put out of business which would not reg- 

 ister, pass a proper inspection and have a license. Another speaker thought 

 that that would be a difficult measure to put into effect in a country like 

 this, where most men like to be their own judges. Some thought that 

 mares should be inspected as well as stallions. 



SPECIAL REPORT OF INSPECTORS. 



In submitting our report, we beg leave to say that we tried to keep our 

 own counsel on all occasions, and to gather what information we could from 

 the owners of stallions, and others who were interested in the horse busi- 

 ness, without influencing them in any way by expressing our own opinions. 

 ID most s Q ctions, quite a large interest was taken in the investigation by 

 most of the stallion owners, the large majority expressing themselves 

 very freely as being in favor of the inspection and licensing of all stal- 

 lions allowed to stand for service. 



We were rather surprised on some occasions to find men who were in 

 favor of this system, whose stallions would be among the first to fall, giv- 

 ing us the impression that they had not given the subject that serious con- 

 sideration, that in our opinion it requires. 



At most of 'the public meetings held we found those present quite 

 ready to express their views; but with very few exceptions the opinions 

 offered did not appear to your Inspectors to have received that due consid- 

 eration and forethought that an important matter of this kind demands. 

 In some sections we found those who were very much opposed to Iftspec- 

 iion and also licensing, claiming that while the class of aires that is being 



