INTERNAL MATTERS CONSIDERED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 75, 15 April 1937, Page 15

INTERNAL MATTERS CONSIDERED

— Own Correspondent.)

Rabbit Board Elettion Methods W 'RD SYSTEM FAVOURED

By

Telejraph

FEILDING, This Day. The annual conference of North Island Rabbit Boards' Association was held in Feilding yestorday, hfr Bi- N. Sandilands (vice-president) presiding in the unavoidable absence of Mr K. W. Dalrymple (president). The Hawke's Bay deiSgafes present were Messrs T, F,. frosse and B. Kelly. • Replyiug to a question from the delegates of the South Island Rabbit Boards' Association, the chairman said that he would welcome an expression of the views of the South Island representatives on the several questions to be discussed but he did not think they could hqve voting power. Perhaps later on in the confefence it might be agreed to accept a proposal expressing Dominion wide agreement on such questions as the amalgamation of local ibodies proposal and the matter of .the award for rabbit inspectors. i Mr. P. Crosse (Hawke's Bay) ex--pressed the view that it was intended that the South Island delegates should have voting power, since their interests and activities were identical with those of the North Island. { The chairman then ruled that as the South Island delegates were not members of the North Island Rabbit Boards' Association they could not vote. Mr. A. Rittson-Thomas (South •Island) accepted the ruling. Rabbit Board Elections. • On behalf of the Kiwitea Rabbit Board Mr. Grice advocated a change in the system of electing boards in the following remit: — "That the Rabbit Nuisance Act, 1928, be amended so as to provide that in cases where Rabbit Boards exceed 50,000 acres, the election of trustees may be on the ward system. ' ' J The remit was seconded by Mr. Shine j (Waikato) and supported by Mr. Craig ; (Manawatu) who considered that the iproposal would do away with the risk,, • 'as it existed at present, of one small section of a board's area electing the whole board. j Mr. Derbyshire (Waitotara) foresaw : difficulties in the way of constituting wards and doubted whether the Government would approve of the change I advocated. I The fact fhat counties were abolishj ing ridings was emphasised by Mr. Edi wards (East Coast) in expressing doubt as to the expediency of the pro- - posal. It looked a's tHough the association was preparing to take up a system which was being discontinued by counties and he considered that the East Coast boards would be against the proposal. Mr. Smith (Waitotara) expresaed the view that the proposition was not of great importance and the conference ; should proceed with the consideration' ! of the question of the formation of a' [ union of rabbit inspectors. j Mr. Lambert (Hunterville) favoured j the proposal and Mr. Batchelar (Kiwitea) also favoured the ward system o'f election.

The Hawke's Bay Board was in favour of the proposal, said Mr. Crosse, who opined that it was just as important to have the outlying area of the board's district repreaented as it was to have representation from the inlying area. His board controlled an area of 3,000,000 acres and experience favoured the system of election by wards, It was doubtful whether the proposal would confer any benefits, remarkedMr. McLeod (Oroua). Mr. Ironsides expresaed himself as being in favour of some of the arguments supporting the proposition as well as with some of those against it, In the case of Hawke 's Bay he considered that the ward system would be desirable but he did not consider that the ward system would be justified in an area of 50,000 acres. The question was purely an internal one for the boards themselves to decide upon. The remit was carried. Travelling Expenses Desirett. Mr Batchelar (Kiwitea) proposed the following remit: — That Section 78 of "The Rabbit Nuisance Act, 1928," be amended §o as to provide for the payment of travelling expenses to members of rabbit boards in terms of "The !Jounties' Travelling Allowance Ragulations, 1927," He said that in the case of the treasurer of the Kiwitea Board, he was not entitled to any remuneration, although he did a^lot of work for the board, because he lived near the board's offiee, and the speaker considered that there should be some allowance for tbese services. Mr Crosse claimed that the matter was covered under the existing Act and was supported by* Mr Kelly (Hawke's Bay), who referred to the powers con--i'erred on the board in the Rabbit Nuisance Act. The remit was withdrawn. A further remit seeking power to vote • travelling expenses to the amount of £20 per annum to the chairmen of rabbit boards controlling a minimum area of 60,000 acres, proposed by Mr Grice (Kiwitea), was lost on the voices. It was pointed out by Mr Crosse (Hawke's Bay) that in some instances the sum proposed would be entirely inadequate in the larger districts and to flx such a lim.it would be a hardship. The chairman said that there was already provision in the Rabbit Nuisance Act for the payment of travelling expenses. Mr Ironsides puggeated, that the. remit had been badly drafted, for it appealcd to hina that the Kiwitea Board was seeking the payment- of an honorarium •for chairmen of rabbit boards.

I Matter of Government Subsiclles. I Claiming that aome improvement was Idesired in the payment of Government jsubsidies on rabbit eradication ratea, , iMr Batchelar (Kiwitea) proposed ths 'following Temit:— -That Section 70, shblaection 5, of "The Rabbit Nuisance jAct, 1928," be amended by adding the Iwords "provided that the claim fox {subsidy is rendered to the Department iof Agriculture, not later than six imonths after the close of the financial year. " He said that his board was working on overdraft and if the subsidy jwas paid ehrlier the board would be [able to cut down its banlr overdraft 'interest. In seeonding the remit pro forma, Mr |Edwards said that the subsidy was payiable within three months, on the rates .paid within the financial year on which the subsidy was claimed. Mr Ironsides pointed out that the Government budgeted for the subsidies to be paid in each financial year and could not budget for two years. In the case of the Kiwitea Board, the subisidy for the year 1935-3B was paid in [1936, but in 1936 the board had applied Jfor the subsidy on the rates for the year 1936-37. That could not be done. Delegates generally. could not appre- . ciate the objects of ■ the Temit and since. the sponsors could not offer any explanation as to what was desired, Mr Bat- - chelar agreed to permit the remit tp be •withdrawn, This was unanimously agreed to. Local Body Empioyees' Award. The conference appointed a sub-com-mittee to' deal with the matter of the Local Bodies Empioyees' Award and the activities of the General Labourers' Union on the question. The matter was left to the executive to deal with. Protection of Naturai Enemies. The question of approaching the Government with the object of having the protection on the naturai enemies of the rabbit reinstated was raised by a delegate, but the conference was unable to agroe that any such step be taken, as it was considered that the stoat and weasel did more damage to native bird life than to the rabbit pest. Use of Phosphorised Pollard. The use of phosphorised pollard for the poisoning of rabbits was referred to late in the meeting, when a delegate mentioned the complaint of S.P-O.A. interests that the practice was a; "cruel one. Conference expressed itself as being in favour of the medium of employing phosphorised pollard, delegates generally voicing the view that it was one of the most effective methods of exterminating the rabbit. Election of Oiflcers. The election of officers for the ensuing year xesulted as follows:— ^President, Mr K, W. Dalrymple;. vice-presi-dent, Mr J. S. Allen (East Waikato); executive, Messrs C. E. Johnston, W. L. Grice and B. N. Sandilands (all of Feilding district); secretary and treasurer, Mr J. Penney (Feilding). . Next Conference. It was unanimously agreed to told the next conference at Hamilton, _ ,