asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that a licence for a dog costs 5s., of which 1s. is for the stamp; that the Post Office authorities insist upon issuing a separate licence for each dog, and that there is no adhesive stamp fixed to a licence; if heretofore the clerks of Petty Sessions issued licences for a number of dogs of a breed on one form, charging for one stamp only, and if he can see his way to return to the old system of issuing licences and thus relieve dog owners of a most unjust imposition.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - STAMPS ON DOG LICENCES.
The Post Office acts merely as an agent on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the collection of dog licence duties, and the instructions as received from that Ministry necessitate that a separate licence should be issued for each dog, and that a fee of 5s. should be charged for each licence.
The question of reverting to the previous arrangement whereby the use of one stamp form would suffice for more than one dog owned by the same person is being taken up with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Arising out of that question, is it a fact that the Minister wants to put in operation the old old maxim, that "every tub must stand on its own bottom," and that in this case every dog must stand on his own stamp?