THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3767, 11 August 1883, Page 2

THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

A meeting of sheepfarmers and othors interested ivas held this forenoon at tho offices of tho Agricultural and Pastoral Society to take into consideration the circular of the Porangahau Rabbit Committee. Thero ivas a good attendance, and the chair ivas occupied by Captain Russell. The Chairman said the reason he had convened the meeting was because he ivas requested so to do by other goptleineu interested. It had been supposed that ho was hostile to the Porangahau committee's circular. That Avas not the case. His mind Avas quite unbiassed, but ho did not consider the circular of the Porangahau committee sufficient. Before he paid his fartljlpg ppr head on his sheep he expected it to bo shown \yhnt, benefit he would derive from the fence it was proposed to eroct. If a freeholder had in his possession more land than he could protect so much the worse for him. He (tho chairman) would be quite willing to pay his farthing if it could bo shoivn that he would derive half a farthing's worth of benefit. Thero were different views held as to tho means that should be employed to protect the district against the incursions of rabbits, but he noticed that the Porangahau circular did not meet the general view on this subject. Ho (Captain Russell) did not believe a fence of ten miles in extent would be sufficient, nor did he regard the question as a public one at all, but rather as a matter for every indiiidual land ownor to see after for himself. Tho AVaste Lands Board was now cutting up laud at the place wftore ■

this fence was proposed to be erected, and he did notknoAV that the Board could order that the fence should not be molested. He doubted that very much. A single holder objecting to a fence being erected on his private property Avould upset the whole thing. Seeing this, he thought it would be better that the land owners in the province should be empoAvercd to do whatever was necessary by Act of Parliament. Ho had written to Mr AY. C. Smith and the other members of the district on the matter, aud had received replies from each of them. That of Mr Smith Avent more fully into the matter than the . others, and he would read it. It was as * follows:—"AVellington, July 11th, 1883. Sir, —I bog to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the sth instant, enclosing- copy of resolutions passed at a public meeting held at AVaipawa on the 4th instant re the rabbit question, and in reply beg to inform you that the throe Hawke's Bay members met the Colonial Secretary this evening and strongly urged upon him to take some action in tho matter by agreeing to and carrying out the resolutions passed at the public meeting and submitted to him. His reply was that he had extended the boundaries of tho HaAvke's Bay district so far as rabbit inspection was concerned to Akiteo, and that a man had been sent up to look after the Akiteo run, and that the Inspector was turning out a number of ferrets, and that all diligenco would be used by the GoA-ernment in tho matter; but he refused to give any of the sheep rate or money assistance toAvards putting up a rabbitproof fence as asked for, nor would he agree to bring in an amended Rabbit Act to give rating Poivers, as he said there was no chance of the House agreeing to pass it if it Avas brought in.—l have, &c, W. C. Smith. To AY. R. Russell, Esq., Napier." The meeting ivould now be pleased to hear Avhat any settler from the southern end of the province had to say on the matter. Several gentlemen suggested that Mr Handyside might give them some information.

Mr Handyside expressed his willingness to answer any questions he might be asked.

In reply to questions by several members he said a fence of ten miles in extent would be useful to keep back the rabbits, although perhaps not quite effectual, whereas a shorter fence would not be any good. Tho fence proposed would keep them back for tAvo years at any rate. There Avas an open country of about ten miles, and then dense tmsii through which the rabbits would not mako much headway for a few years to come. Of course bye-and-bye they would get up to the end of the proposed fence, when it could be extended. Rabbits had been seen Avithin thirty miles of the site of the proposed fence. The nearest country damaged by them was on the Matakuni river, about fifteen miles distant. There Avas also tAvo killed in the neighborhood of the fence. A rabbiter Avas engaged in the district who killed as many as four a day. At present they did not exist in great numbers in the neighborhood of the fence, but where one was seen that was an indication there were others. He did not believe there was such a thing as exterminating rabbits Avhere they once got a hold, even in small numbers. A man

might hunt for months and use every expedient to destroy them, and yet not he snecessful. Rabbits did not travel fast in rough country or in bush. His (Mr Handyside's) experience of the rabbits down South was that they came first in small numbers, but immediately afterwards tho country would be SAvarming with them.

Several gentlemen stated that thero Avere at the present time rabbits in various parts of the county, and had been for several years past. The Chairman read from the Act of 1882 the authoaity vested in the Sheep Inspectors for the destructions of rabbits.

Mr Handyside remarked that Mr Smith, the Wairarapa inspector, had been four days recently at Mr Munroe's place, and during that tim. he had not seen a single rabbit, although out every day. It Avas not at all times that rabbits could be seen.

Mr Fitzroy supported the erection of a fence as proposed. It would be the most effectual plan to keep back the enemy. There was a large Government block of 25 or 30,000 acres, a good portion of which ivas bush, and it Avould not be possible to keep down the rabbits by means of dogs, &c., in a place such as that. He had just received a telegram from Mr Pasley, Rab-. bit Inspector for the district, avlio was now at Porangahau, in which Mr Pasley gave it definitely as his opinion that the fence should certainly be extended. Mr Coleman approved of the Porangahau circular, and considered that the gentlemen comprising it had acted very reasonably indeed. He quite believed that more than ten miles of fencing would bo required bye-and-bye, but had the Porangahau committee come to them and said " thirty-five miles will be necessary at once, will you pay your Id or ljVd per head to pay for its erection,' the idea Avould have been scouted. Tho Porangahau committee were entitled to the best thanks of the sheepfarmers for the action they had taken. To say that_there were already a feiv rabbits in the district did not affect the question. It was from the inroads thoy might make from the South, where they existed in millions, there was most to fear. The proposed fence should be erected at once.

After some further discussion of a conversational character, Mr R. Harding moved, "That tho sheepfarmers of Hawke's Bay present at this meeting agree to pay a voluntary tax equal to f d per head on all sheep in their possession on 31st May last for the purpose of preventing any furthor spread of rabbits towards the southern boundary of the proiincial district, and that a committee be appointed to confer Avith tho Porangahau committoe immediately as to the best means to adopt to prevent them spreading, and the committee are hereby empowered to act for those agreeing to this resolution."

Mr Douglas McLean seconded the motion, and in doing so remarked that it Avas very avcll to talk about every man protecting his own property, but in some cases that would mean an outlay of about £1000 a year. Concerted action was tho best, seeing there was not the slightest chance of an Act being passed giving power to lei'y a special rate for the object in vieiv. Mr Donnelly Avas in favor of a thoroughly competent gentleman, with a staff of officials, being appointed to keep the rabbits back. It would bo more effectual than a fence, he believed. It would cost £2000 a year to eroct and maintain a fence, and that amount expended in the emplojinent of an efficient staff ivould be better laid out. He ivould suggest Mr Fitzroy as a gentleman in ei'ery Avay qualified for the position of chief inspector, and a salary of £500 a year ivould not be too much to pay him. Mr Tanner pointed out the difficulty there would be in securely fencing across creeks, - Avhich one time of the year Avould be flooded and another time dry. He urged that the matter should be very carefully enquired into before any definite action ivas taken. The question, on being put to the i-ote, Avas declared carried. On tho motion of Mr Coleman, seconded by Mr R. D. M'Loan, tho following wero appointed a committee to confer with the Porangahau Rabbit Committee as agreed to in tho former resolution:— Messrs R. V. M'Loan, John Chambers, R. Harding, and J. 11. Loughnan. . , . Mr Douglas deprecated the decision of the meeting. It would bo impossible to orect a rabbit-proof fence iv the place denoted, it appeared to him that rabbits Avore moro numerous in other parts of the district than at Akitoo. There wore many others present Avho agreed with his views, but they did not make their opinions knoiim as ho did. Tho Chairman prepared a form (the text of Avhioh will be found iv our advertising columns) to be signed by LhuoC t gentlcrusH _| avlio Avould agree to its proiisions. This form Avas signed by some 25 of those pro-

sent. r ItAvas resolved, on the motion of 31r Loughnan, "That all shcepf armors intending to subscribe to the fund be requested to forward their names beforo the date of tho adjourned meeting to tho chairman, Captain The meeting was then adjourned until the 25th instant, when the roport of the committee will bo brought up.