THE ABSENTEES’ PRIVILEGE.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 625, 19 April 1921, Page 7

THE ABSENTEES’ PRIVILEGE.

(To the Edito* 1 .)

Sir, I had intended to have signalised myself by promulgating a theory which I flatter myself would account for the diverge, eccentric and elusive motives which actuate the absentee land owners of Pokeno. So singular are these people that a budding physiologist and metaphysician would find phenomena enough for experiment and make Aristotle exclaim: “We are fearfully and wonderfully made.”- But, on second thought, I decided that the profound dessertation necessary to elucidate this theory would require a finesse of delineation too tedious to be interesting. Having arrived at this decision and never having suffered from perpetual velosity of the intellect, I commenced filling my pipe preparatory to taking a stroll into the village. On gaining the rogd gate I noticed someone hurrying down the road towards me. I waited to bid him the time of day. He stopped, and I ventured to ask the cause of his hurry. “ I have a letter to post, one that you may read if you can do so on the way to the station,” said he. Before we had l'eached the station I had read and re-read that letter, and as I think that it hits the state of affairs existing in Pokeno on the head, I am sending you a transcript of the original.

Pokeno, April 15, 1921. T. H. W. F. M y, Wellington. Sir,- —Can you inform me if certaian people owning land in this neighbourhood are exempt from the Rabbit Act as year after year goes by and

they make no attempt whatever to destroy sfriy rabbits, neither have they cut any of their gorse or blackberry, which seems to be left as harbour and protection for their many thousands of rabbits. The only thing they neglect to do is to grow a little feed and poor bunny to visit his less prosperous neighbour’s small farm, where a bit of feed is put in to sustain that said neighbour’s cattle; but which in every instance is either wholly or partially destroyed by the richer man’s rabbits who come through in mobs. We have not a single r,abbit that we can honestly call our own, and think it a duty to liberally supply with good food. And now after several years of attempting to feed our own stock and our surrounding neighbours’ rabbits and finding it impossible to grow feed enough to do so, I am appealing to you for advice. If .'Mr absentee wishes and intends to utilise his farm as , a rabbit warren, do you not think he should be compelled to wire netting it in so as to prevent them trespassing. Of course he would need to put in a little feed for them himself but if he cleared a few of the many noxious weeds which are growing so luxuriously he would liave plenty of room to do so. At any- rate, we are very tired of putting in grass, oats, turnips, barley, vetches, carrots, etc., crop after crop only to get them destroyed by rabbits. If you can give me a little good advice on the subject which might save me seeing rabbits even in by dreams your will greatly oblige.— Yours, faithfully, E.D.

The cap is size 7. If this fits you I would advise you to get busy before the inspector verifies this.—l am, etc., 1 THE OYSTER COVE.