THE SPREAD OF RABBITS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2102, 10 June 1907, Page 2

THE SPREAD OF RABBITS

DISCUSSION AT FARMERS’ UNION. ' RABBIT BOARD AND INSPECTORS URGED. The Minister for Lands (Hon. R. McNab), to whom the resolutions re the spread of rabbits from Opotiki and from the Southern side of A\ airoa had been referred to his colleagues, advised the Farmers’ Union oil Saturday that inquiries would be made into the Uuion’s complaint. The Chiei Inspector of Stock wonld he asked to present him with a report on . the whole subject, “prior to any decision being arrived at as to the best course to be adopted.” The Cook County Council wrote endorsing the branch’s resolutions on the subject.

Mr. W. Miller, inspector in charge of the Poverty Bay districts, notified that he had forwarded the Union’s resolution to the Department in Wellington , accompanied with his . remarks on the subject, “Any action that will prevent rabbits—with which pest I have had large experience—reaching this dictrict, will receive my hearty and energetic support,” he added, “I fear, however, that a net-' ling fence from Waikaremoana to the sea would he meeting the trouble in

one direction only, as it would appear that trouble is anticipated from other quarters as well.” '

The Chairman said that no reply had yet been received from AVairoa. He quoted from the Inspector’s report of A lay, 1906, to-show that the Government should “be up and doing” in the matter. The inspector remarked in that report:—“With regard to the Crown lands I am absolutely lost to account for the infested condition 1 found them in, in view of the large amount of money expended by the Board in poisoning. . I spent two whole days carefully inspecting some very rough portions and failed to find any evidences of past' or present poisoning, whilst fresh and old indications of rabbits were to bo seen everywhere. My assistant, who took a separate route, makes an equally unsatisfactory report.” And further on:—“I don’t consider that the Beard’s officers are dealing properly and efficiently with the properties taken over by them,” instancing a large number of properties very .much infested with the pest.

A report of a Napier case was also quoted by the Chairman, in which an owner who had got rid of over 4000 rabbits, at a cost of 9d per bead, was fined by the Court for not having taken more steps to deal with the pest. This was a striking illustration of wliat the rabbit invasion meant for pj operty-owners. The cast, quoted was a lease hold between Napier and AVairoa. There was, said the Chairman, no doubt that the rabbits were rapidly spreading from tho Napier side. The Union should be alive to the danger and agitate for the authorities to deal more efficiently and promptly with the thing. Until the Inspector’s report was presented, he supposed, nothing could be done. Mr. Maddison questioned whether it would not be cheaper in the end for this district to form a Rabbit Board straight away, rather than to wait for tho Government to move. They did not want, to fall into the same error as the Hawke’s Bay people who' formed a Rabbit Board after the pest had arrived, and found after erecting over 20 miles of fencing at great expense that they had merely fenced the rabbits in. Air. A. J. Cameron moved that the following remit he placed- before tIM Provincial Conference, which meet: on the 17th instant: “’That in consequence of the serious increase in rabbits both from the Hawke’s Bay and AVairoa side, as well as from the Opotiki side, it is urgently necessary for the Government to see . that more stringent- measures are taken to prevent the spread of rabbits'into this district, and that at least- two experienced inspectors should be appointed, one to the stationed at- Opotiki and tho other on the AVairoa side with the sole duty of supervising the destruction of rabbits in these localities 31 . '

Air. Holden seconded and the moioi, was carried unanimously.

It is stated that thorough inspection has proved there is no ground whatever for tho alarmist statements recently made in Gisborne in reference to the spread of the rabbit pest in the southern portion of this district.—AVairoa Guardian.