WILD RIVERS AND WILD RABBITS

Chronicle (Levin), 25 May 1946, Page 3

WILD RIVERS AND WILD RABBITS

■Press Associatlon

' MENACE TO THE LAND

By Telegraph—

■ (JHKiSTCiiUKCH, May 22. The scope of Ihe discuasions at the anuual conference of 'N ew Zealancl Cateliment Boarda lieid in Christchurch tkis week, is an indication of tlie important'.part thosc new locai bodies aro to play in tlie Dominion's future deveiopment. Dclegates from all over the Dominion have' attended, and most of tliem liave brOught- a lvoalth of local body knowledge and experience to bear on the problems facing tliem. in tlieir task of controlling the country's lurbuient rivers and combating the Dominion's erosion danger. The discussions liave rangcd i'rom the crrppling oii'ect of the prc.seiit scale of death duties on trec plantiug 011 fanns (becauae trees on a place are listed as an asset for death duties purp'osos) to the neeessity for keeping high-country runa occupied. The Deadly Eahhit Considerable attoution lias beeu paid to Ihe rabbit and opossuui menaces. Ivabbits wero the target of much invective. Floods were laid directly to their acti'0113 iu burrowing througli carefullybuill stopbanks, and stories were tohi of wliole prospeetive plantations ot young pinus iusignis being eaten alive by hungry rabbits. in fact, niore verbai animuiiition was expended on tliem by speakcrs than actual ammunition (shotgun caitridges or .22 bullcts) could be bouglit. iii liawke's JBay, according to oue speaker. Most of the first day's discussion coueerned taxation, both the amount to be levied and the nianner of levying it. Beyeral of the speakcrs were unanimous in their belief that as river control would benelit everyone in New Zealand, everyono should be directly taxed for it. Oue Manawatu delegate caused aniuseuient wlicn lie saicl he looked forward to the dav wheu Wellington citv would be ineluded in the Manawatu district. Tlie lire nienace as a direct cause of erosion, by destroying growth, was discussed in inany romits, dclegates saying tliat tlie "match farmers" (a new nunie for those who carelessly lcave lires about to start forest tiroa) necded inore attention. A numbcr of bylaws are already on the list of catchment board regulations designed to reniove tliis nienace. Arresting Eacts Some intoresting facts revealed in long dobates on the animal posta combating ihe work of the catchment boards wero: — A total of 410,000 opossuni skins wero handled in the lasl trapping seasou. At oue placo in liawke's f»ay, 32,000 rabbits liave bcen killed 011 5200 aeres siuce Januarv this year, and thoy aro still to be seon in great numbers. Htoata are causiug much damage in soino (Jtstricls. ,Frpui oue burrow in a river stopbank, 75 nihbits' wore' fdceully Takou. 1 • Foison gas is being tried ia partieularly bad district s in liawke's Bav. U11 some placcs i'armers have been suspectod of farming rabbits, to make pocket muney. The debate got slighllv off catchment board rails when a Manawatu delegate, Mr. J. Caih-seu, warmod up to tlie subjject of death duties and dcclared thar the present liigh rate of the duties motuti burdening exccllent farms in the long run. witli heavy mortgages aftcr the owncr's death. The best i'armers for the l'uture were the sons of the present i'armers, and how eould thev be eneouraged if the present scale of dcatli duties. was to be maintaincd? The Avhole room clapped him. Many rcprcsentatives of Government Departments were present at the conference and spoke freely, although some of their remarks about Uoverument policy were in committee. Somctimea thev were not spared the eriticism of mcmbers. Heavy guus were tirod on the Stafe Forest .Service, for instance, for (he milling contracts it let on land wantod for soil conservation.