DEER MENACE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 5

DEER MENACE

WORK IN THE SOUTH

MINISTER'S IMPRESSIONS

"It would be showing, partiality to pick out a part of New Zealand and say it is more beautiful than any other

part of the country," remarked the

Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon.

W. E. Parry) in extolling the beauty

of native bush and mountain scenery

he had travelled through during ail

expedition in the South Island with

the official deer destruction parties,

from which he returned to Wellington \ today. It was not rercarkable, he said, that the landscape and scenic beauties of the South Island charmed alike the southerner, the northerner , and the tourist: from other lands.

"Wholeheartedly I say," Mr. . Parry ' added, "my visit to many parts of the south, previously unfamiliar to me, filled me with admiration, interest, and' information of great value in my work."

The Minister spoke enthusiastically of the value of the work of the men

engaged officially, under Captain G. F.

Yerex, to destroy deer on account of

the depredations Of the animals in the bush and pastures. "They have a tough \ and strenuous task," said Mr. Parry, / "and it is hazardous battling and pick-

ing their way through dense bush, scaling mountainous and rocky country to get in their drives on deer. None but men in the fittest condition could endure the work for long. The men

are experienced bushmen and riflemen with a full knowledge of the ways and habits of deer. They could stagger the bush-lover with their description of the damage the animals have already done to the native bush. A day out with the men convinced me of the great necessity for destroying deer. After,l had spent three days with them the seriousness of the destruction wrought by the, animals ap- , peared to me to be most extensive, and the intensified campaign now proceeding,, at the behest of the Government, is essential from all standpoints." STEWART ISLAND OPERATIONS.

Mr. Parry spent two or three days at Stewart Island, where deer shooting operations had commenced. "Just imagine that picturesque island bereft of its bush," the Minister remarked. "TShe amount of the loss to New Zealand would be incaV culable. Yet if attempts with some purpose had not been made to curb < ■■„ the depredations of deer there we would have that horrible result. Stewart Island is a haven with all the best features of a New Zealand island. I have joined up with the southerners in their work to save it intact for the pe6ple. "What I saw at Stewart Island and parts Of Central Otago while operating with the official deer destruction parties a few days ago convinced me that every pound used in efforts to lessen the herds of the animals in/ the \ bush area is money weH and truly

spent. Deer have done damage for years. The trouble is that the damage is growing in extent. We must redouble the work of destroying deer. We are redoubling efforts in appealing to the public to prevent fires, or the native bush along many of the

picturesque highways will ultimately make way for unsightly scarred hills and their trailer—erosion."