CANTERBURY ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 15

CANTERBURY ITEMS.

1 (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent) ' , Chrlstchurcti, 16. Regarding the Labour newspaper which tho trades unions of the Dominion have been asked io aesist,in establishing, favourable ropjies havo been received from eoveral Canterbury unions, who have also forwarded,cheques to help (» meet tho initiatory expenditure At prosenMho suggestion is that the paper should bo published fortnightly, i At a meeting of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society many complaints were Diado 'With reference- to the" depredations caused by paradiso ducks. Members exprossed tho opinion that an injustice, had been done, by tho Government m not allowing tho birds ( to bo shot in tho district, especially as the Otago Society had been given permission to shoot them for the first fortnight of tho season on condition that eaoh gun should shoot not more than six. It wasjlecided to-petiiion for an open season m 1911. In the course of his lecture at Canterbury College, t}io lion. T. Mackenzie said that evi- ' dence of l the careless manner in which destructive vermin had been introduced to Now Zealaud was to be found in Western Otago. When rabbits threatened to destroy the country a number of ferrets and weasels were introduced, and \ some of them -were liberated in tho western regions, , although there were, no rabbits there. They multiplied, and m the , absenco of other food, made havoc among tho native birds. There had been a regrettable decrease among tho wekas and kakapos, but on his last visit ho had observed a gratifying in them. The birds had learnt,to combat the animals, and now were able to told th<sw own against them.