ROD, GUN & FAUNA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 24 July 1913, Page 5

ROD, GUN & FAUNA.

CONTROL BODIES CONFER.

CULLING RED DEER,

INSPECTION OP FISHERIES.

Tho eleventh annual conference of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies' Association was commenced yesterday in the Chamber of Commerce. Tho president, Air. L. 0. H. Tripp, was in the chair, and the following delegates were present:—Lieutenant-Colonel W. H. Hazard and Captain J. Elliot (Auckland), and Messrs. C. B. Trimnell (Ashburton), L. lianlon (U-'iiungarei), E. Jb\ Stead (Canterbury), \\. li. Tisuall (Canterbury), C. A. Wnicney (Coromandel), W. It. Walker (!• eliding), J. E. Elliott (Hobson, Whangaroa, iUaugonui, tirey, and district), U\ Ivrkwopjl (ilawera and Stratford), J. (iNelson), G. W. M'lntosh and G. AT. l'liomson, il.l'. (Otago), E. liussell J. L. Wilson (Taranaki), H. Southey (Tauranga), IJ.1 J . G. Smith (Woimanuoj, I], is. Lilliton (Wanganui), Tlios. Manchester (Waimate), H. H. Ostler (Wellington), W. E. i'arr (Waitaki), L. 11. B. Wilson (Wellington), A. E. Xowe ( U r c stland), and C. B. .Morison, K.C'. (South Canterbury).

Election of Officers. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as lollows: —President, Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp; vice-president, Air. C. A. EitzKoy; treasurer, Air. H. H. Ostler; secretary, Air. C. I. JDasent; council, Lieu-tenant-Colonel Hazard (Auckland), and -Messrs. J. E. Elliott (Hobson), W. Pollard (Alarlborough), Morton Anderson (Canterbury), G. W. M'lntosh (Otago), E. Kussell (Southland), W. IJ.1 J . Kirtwood (Stralloru), U. Southey (Tauranga), J. E. Wilson (Taranaki), E. N. Liffiton (Wanganui), A. E. Lowe (Westland), and E. C; Stowe (South Canterbury). The president, in his opening address, referred at somo length to tho question of the protection of opossums, his remarks on this subjet being reported elsewhere. .Regarding tho Water Pollution Bill, which had been introduced in Parliament last year, Air. Tripp said that, had it been passed, a great deal of damage would have been done to tho fish in some of our streams. Tho Bill had proposed to allow dairy factories, sawmills, and flaxmills to discharge their refuse into the rivers. If the Bill had been carried it would lave been a most serious thing for the fish in New Zealand streams. Of course, if it came to a matter of industry versus fish, they must givo way. The effluent from dairy factories was mostly in a liquid form, and j might even be good for the fish, but this could not possibly be so from flaxmills. In connection with red deer, Mr. Tripp said lie was sorry to say that there liad been distinct deterioration in the herds in the' Nelson and Wellington districts. He had been trying to' think out a scheme whereby venison could be sold. They sent out people to kill stags with malformed heads, and it seemed to him a shame that all this good meat should be wasted. The difficulty, of course, was in getting tho carcasses out from the places where the deer wero killed .There might also be somo market for the skins. In New Zealand they could only get from 2s. to 3s. a skin, which did not pay. They might, perhaps, get a better price 'at Home, if a sufficient number of skins were exported. The president also referred to the question of fisheries. Hp thought the Government was doing well in bringing an expert from Canada. (Hfcar; hear.) But this- gentleman could bo in tho Dominion" only for three months.-: It would be well if the Government could train a young scientist to study New Zealand waters, and to advise ths Government as to the best measures for the preservation of their fishes.

Representation at Conference. ; Mr. L. Hanlon, (AVhangaroi). proposed an alteration in tho Tules; providing; ■,that each affiliated, society te entitled to 1 one delegate only at tho annual conference, whereas the Auckland, Wellington, Cantoibury, and Otago society have so far been allowed two delegates; l also that the annual subscription of all societies outside tho four central societies be raised from £2 2s. to dC3 3s. The subscription of the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago societies is ss. An amendment giving the sroalfer societies power to elect two delegates, contingent on .their an annual subscription of £o 55., was carried.

Shooting of Hares. Mr. E. Eussell (Southland) moved:— "That tho Animals' Protection Act, 1901s, be amended—(a) By providing for the issue of licenses to t-ake or kill hares in any acclimatisation district at a fee to be fixed by regulation, (b) By making it an offence to carry firearms in any sanctuary or to discharge a firearm into a sanctuary." It was explained that the present state of the law is that hares are considered as vermin, unless specifically declared to be game in certain districts. The object of the motion was to allow for the charging of a license ■ feo for the shooting of hares in such districts. , The remit was adopted.

Culling of Deer Herds. Mr, G. AV. M'lntosh (Otago) moved:— "That the Government be asked to subsidise acclimatisation societies in whose districts red and fallow dter are established with funds for purposo of' culling tjio herds." The matter, ho said, was o.ue of great importance to the societies in whose districts thens were big herds of deer. ' Culling was absolutely necessary. The best stags were being continually shot out, whereas the hinds were allowed to live ,on, irrespective of quality. The herds must therefore deteriorate unless something were done. He thought that the matter was one in which the Government might reasonably be asked to assist. The Otago Association had just let aioontract to two men to shoot GOO head in the Hunter Valley, at a rate of 2s. (id. per head. The chairman: What about the skins? Mr. M'lntosh: The men say it would not pay them to bring them out.. They only act 2s. or 3s. per skin, and this does not compensate them for the trouble of bringing them out. I should like to do something with regard to the sale of the meat, but it is exceedingly difficult to bring it to marfet't. Continuing, the speaker said that in tho Malvern Hills there wore 10,000 deer which could 1)0 shot out with advantage, but no on? would "take it on" for tho sake of the skins alono. Mr. W. E. Fart (Waitaki) opposed tho motion. Mr. H. H. Ostler (Wellington) said hia society wag afraid of the motion. In his ?- s '™t, he said, they had too many deer, but they were more fortunate than the Otago Society. They could got keen young men to shoot out tho deer for them, merely for their supply of cartridges. Sinao the report r«f the Forestry Commission deer were not very -popular, and if they went to tho Government (Especially as the Minister for Internal Affairs was not very sympathetic with acclimatisation societies), the Government ivould probably decide to take oTOr the control of deer itself. This would mean tho loss oi th*» societies' revenue, and probably the end of tho, sport. The motion was lost. Lieutenant-Colonel Hazard (Auckland) moved:—"That a general local license be issued at 20s. for shooting imported and native game;, and that the licenses for shooting native game be issued at 10s. per annum." The motion was carried.

Shootinu Licenses. Meuteniant-Colonol Hazard (Auckland) moved'"That tho licenso to shoot imported and native game bo made of the same universal application as the licenso to fish —i.e., that a license issued in any one place may be made applicable to tho whole Dominion." Tlie motion was seconded, pro forma, bv llr. W. P. Kirkwnod (Stratford), who, however, opposed it. Mr. H. Southey (Tauranga) said he had como to tho conference to speak as strongly as possible against "this unfair and iniquitous ' remit." (Laughter.) It would bo possible for one society to issue licenses to a sportsman, who could then go into another district, and shoot as much game as ho liked, without paying a penny towards the revenues of the society in whoso district ho was shooting. Auciihrnl was one of the biggest societies in the Dominion, and some better , year's work mild be expected of it than a remit enabling, ii; to "snavel someone else's money." (Laughter.) Tlis motion was cenorally ooposcdj tho

opinion being expressed that the same license rules could not be applied to fish ami feathered game. It was eventually defeated by a large majority.

Local Control. Mr. C. A. Whitney (Opotiki) moved, and Mr. ,T. B. Elliott (Ilobson) seconded: —"That legislation be introduced with a view to leaving the .matter of an open or closed season in any district in the hands of tho local society, instead of its l>eing fixed by law as at present." Tho object of the remit was to give to the societies tho right of absolute local control. The law now stands that there must bo a close season overy third year. .Should the power ■ sougfitl by tho remit be granted, societies would have power to close on other years in addition, if they so wished. Those who lived on the spot, and were most nearly interested in the increase of game, were tetter able to stato whether a season should be a close one than the Minister. The motion was carried. Open Season for Dotterel. Mr. W. H. Tisdall (Canterbury) moved: —"That there be an open season for dotterel until 6uch time as New Zealand sooieties make arrangements with. Australion societies to have dotterel protected." It was explained that dotterel migrate to Victoria and South Australia, so that some measure of reciprocity was necessary. The motion was carried.

Pea-rifle Menace. The question of tlxo pea-rifle nuisance was introduced by remits from the Waimaxino and Southland Societies. These were respectively:— . "That' tho Government be requested to bring in legislation dealing with, the indiscriminate use of petrifies, and that the use of silencers be absolutely prohibited"; and 1 "That tho Government be requested to impose a special license of ss. on all persons carrying pea-rifles except those used under such conditions, as may be deemed expedient." Seveiral speakers stated that o 'great deal of damage was being done to stock by careless and _ sometimes deliberately vindictive "shootists." Valuable game was destroyed, and human life endangered. The motion was carried, a pearrifle being defined as a weapon of 25-calibre, or under. Importation of Game, It was proposed by Mr. H. H. Ostler (Wellington): "That this.association authorises its Executive Committee to expend not more than .£SO in tho importation of grouse, black game, or some other feathered game, to .be liberated in one place, such place to be fixed by the Executive Committee." The opinion was expressed that .£SO was hardly a sufficient sum. The motion was carried.

( Miscellaneous. was agreed, on the motion of Mr. C. B. Morison: "That in the opinion of this conference it is in the best interests of the Dominion that the control of fish and game in the Roforua Acclimatisation District be placed under a local acclimatisation society, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Minister for Internal Affairs." It was agreed, on tho motion o? Sir. H. Southey (Tauranga): "That the Minister for Railways be requested to grant concessions to delegates wishing to attend the annual conference .cf tho New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies' Association, on the samo lines as are already extended to other institutions." Mr. \V. P. Kirkwood (Stratford) moved "That this conference views with disapproval and emphatically protests against the Bill entitled tho Pollution of Water Act, dealing with the pollution of rivers, and introduced into Parliament in 1912, as being highly detrimental not only to tho aims and objects of acclimatisation societies in the preservation and propagation of fish in the Dominion, but also the public health, and to the general interests of the community."

Tho 1 motion met with hearty support, and was carried unanimously. Mr. L. Hanlon (Whangarei) moved, and it was agreed"That as anglers greatly appreciate the privilege of fowling fish by post (which in the Taupo district has saved much waste of good food) they trust that in the event of a general withdrawal of that, privilege, an 'exception may bo iri'ade in favour of trout." 1 On the motion of Mr. W. 13. Farr (\yaitaki), it was decided to urge tho Government to stop all netting at the mouths of rivers. .It .was agreed, on the motion of Mr. E. R-ussell (Southland):—"That the Government be urged to renew the importation of Atlantic salmon ova, the resultant fry to be liberated in the Waiau River, Southland, as formerly." Mr. W. P. Kirkwood (Stratford) moved "That this conference recommends tho absolute prohibition of the use of automatic guns as fowling-pieces in the Dominion." The mover characterised the uso of automatic guns as most unsportsmanlike, and also dangerous. They often led to the slaughtering of more birds than the limit allowed by lpw. The motion was carried, with the proviso that it applied only to.feathered and native game. The Wellington Society, through Mr. 11. H. Ostler, proposed:—"That the Government bo asked to amend the Animals' Protection Act so that the production of his warrant shall no longer bo a condition precedent'to a ranger's right to exercise the powers given him by law; and that a raiiger's warrant under the Animals' Protection Act may authorise him to act in any part of the Dominion." The motion was carried. Other Temits passed dealing with the Animals' Protection Act were:— That the secretary of any acclimatisation society be empowered to sell deerstalking licenses.—(Waitaki). That the destruction of shags at a uniform price per head be agreed upon by all adjoining societies.—(Waitaki). That each society have a voice in determining, what game, is to be shot in its respective district.—(Stratford). ■ That the Government be asked to take dras.'ic steps to preserve the birds in the sanctuaries.—(Stratford). That the Government issue tags for fallow deer as well as for red deer.— (South Canterbury). The conference will resume this morning.-