The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, DEC. 18, 1890. A Dangerous Fest

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 78, 18 December 1890, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, DEC. 18, 1890. A Dangerous Fest

Ix another column we publish an article entitled " The Coming Scourge, Stoats and Weasels" from the pen of Mr W. Thompson, 8.A., (Oxon), contributed to the New Zealand Farmer for December. Although we think the picture of the possible calamities somewhat overdrawn, yet there appears a Bound substratum of fact on which the deductions of Mr Thompson have been based. On the West Coast of the South Island it has already been officially reported to the Government that those rare and valuable nativo birds, the kakapo and kiwi, have almost entirely disappeared, and their destruction is attributed to the weasels which have found their jray across the ranges from Canterbury or Otago, where these pests were introduced at the expense of the Colony. Last ses sion the House voted a sum of money to bring out more of these pests, but we hope that a similar act of folly will not be repeated in the next estimates. Coming nearer home, in Apiti, the Wanganui Harbor Board Block, on the Kimbolton Road, Feilding, and at Awahuri weasels have been seen, and in one instance (at Awahuri) a nest was fouud. That the Government of the day should take some steps to check their increase everyone will admit except, possibly, those who believe in crushing the farmers by a Land Tax, or who hold the opinion that the rabbit pest is sent as a judgment on farmers because, in a few instances, they own the land which they cultivate. If anything is to be done it must be originated by the settlers themselves, and that quickly, because unless Parliament is compelled to take action by pressure from without the Government wiU do notbißg, in fact can do nothing, owing to the strength of the so-called •• labor party," whoaa members being for the most part representatives of the masses in the large centres of population, look upon land owners and tenants with equal dislike or suspicion, and are out of ail touch with the members who represent country constituencies. We certainly do think that farmers, whether agricultural or stock, should form a combination to take protective measures, elaborated by themselves, for many of them can, doubtless, make available in this colony the knowledge gained by experience at Home, and bring iuco practice the modes which are crowned with at least partial success by the English farmer.