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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3768, 13 August 1883, Page 2

The report of Mr B. P. Bayly, the Superintending Inspector for Sheep and Babbits, upon the rabbit nuisance, was laid on the table of the House on Friday. He states that the present Act works fairly well. _ In the case of large areas of waste lands it is recommended that they be temporarily alienated from the Crown for grazing- purposes, on the condition that tho rabbits are destroyed, as a few years' cost of rabbit destruction upon them will exceed their value. Whore there are such inaccessible areas, as in Otago, the introduction of the natural enemy is advised. The stoat and weazel, if they can be imported, would be the best agents of destruction. A bonus has been offered for the introduction of these animals, and a man has proceeded to England for the purpose of endeavoring to introduce them. The importation of ferrets has not been attended with success. With a view to the distribution of ferrets, breeding depots have been established at Waimata and Masterton, m the North Island, and at Christchurch, in the South Island Mr Bayly recommends that a largo reward of several thousand pounds be offered for an efficacious method of destroy - in* rabbits, and that it be advertised m Great Britain and on the Continent. Though the pest has decreased m numbers during the year, the area infested is slowly increasing. A table attached to the report states that 8,922,756 skins were exported last year. Mr Sutton, the Rabbit Inspector at Masterton, reports that contracting with settlers pi $o much per annum for the destruction of rabbta on Crown lands adjoining their properties is npt a success, Crown lands in tho Wairarapa being mostly bush The rabbit in any numbers are only to be found on the Jumla* of the bush, where they take shelter from the doghuntcre. Therefore, I think, if the price mid for these contracts was expended in ferrets the result would bo more effectual. I find that contracts for poisoning only answer best, as tho work can be supervised, and money not expended unnecessarily,