154
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

perfectly. To carry out this, and to insure the im-
portation of a uniform class, I would advise that the
maximum price allowed by the State for all remounts
should be five hundred and fifty rupees. I do not
anticipate that every remount purchased would equal
the standard, but slight deviations would not militate
against either arm of the service. And lastly, should
a failure to obtain the required number of remounts
threaten, the immediate employment of an Agent in
the colonies, as suggested by me in paragraph 13,
would not fail to overcome the apparent difficulty.

17. In completing my report, I beg to be allowed
    to express my thanks for the urbanity and able
    assistance rendered on every occasion by the depart-
    ments of the several Governments I have visited.

Observations.—In April, 1874, the Government of
India sanctioned, on the recommendation of the
Special Stud Commission, the deputation of Mr.
Thacker to Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania,
for the purpose of collecting information on the
present state and future prospects of the horse trade,
as affecting the supply of remounts for the Army in
India.

The above report gives the result of his inquiries
and personal observations, and in directing its pub-
lication, the Governor-General in Council desires to
convey to Mr. Thacker the thanks of the Govern-
ment of India for the excellent manner in which he
has carried out his intructions. The information
collected is very complete, and will be useful not
only to Government, but also to those interested in
the horse trade. It is also very satisfactory, as
showing the attention paid by the owners of stud
farms in Australia to blood, and the prospect of a
supply, at a reasonable price, of good serviceable
horses with sufficient breeding for military purposes.

The Governor-General in Council approves of the
proposal made in paragraph 16 of the report, that,
with the object of obtaining remounts of a type
suitable for any branch of the service, the division
into three classes of horses required for the Army be
discontinued, that one class only be adhered to as
much as possible, and that the maximum price for all
remounts be fixed at Rs. 550. Hitherto in the
Bengal Presidency, the maximum price for Horse
Artillery remounts has been Rs. 600, and for Cavalry
and Field Artillery Rs. 500, but each horse was
priced separately, and in special cases prices higher
than the maximum have been given, provided the
average of the purchases did not exceed the above

limits. Under this system the annual purchases for
the army in the Bengal Presidency being, say, 1,000
horses, of which 250 were required for Horse Artil-
lery, the sum available for the purchase of remounts
was,—

250 × 600 = Rs. 150,000
750 × 500 = ,, 375,000

Total Rs. 525,000

giving an average of Rs. 525 per horse.

According to the proposal now sanctioned, there
will be an increase of Rs. 25,000 to the sum
allotted for this purpose, and the average price of all
remounts will be raised to Rs. 550. This change
will for the present apply only to purchases in the
Bengal Presidency.

The Government of India hope that by thus
offering inducements to shippers to send a superior
class of horses, the general standard of remounts
may be raised, and that underbred horses of the
stamp to which objection has very justly been taken
will not be passed into the service.

Order.—Ordered that the above observations and
the report be published in the supplement to the
Gazette of India.

(True extract)
H. K. BURNE, Colonel,
Secretary to the Government of India.

Notice.—With reference to the marginally noted
extract* from the notification dated 4th June, 1874,
it has been decided by the Government of India that,
in future, one class only of remounts shall be pur-
chased, for which the standard price will be Rs.
550. As the number of Horse Artillery remounts is
one-fourth of the total number of horses required,
this change will increase the average price of
remounts by Rs. 25. Each horse will be valued
separately, as previously ordered

This notification applies for the present only to
purchases in the Bengal Presidency.

H. K. BURNE, Colonel,
Secretary to the Government of India,
Military Department.

Calcutta, the 9th December, 1874.

• The standard price for Cavalry and Field Artillery remounts
  is Rs. 500; for Horse Artillery, Rs. 600. Every horse
  presented for purchase will be separately valued, and in special
  cases higher prices than the standard price may be given, provided
  the average of the purchases does not exceed the above limits.

Printed under the authority of the New Zealand Government, by GEORGE DIDSBURY, Government Printer, Wellington.