OPOSSUM SKINS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 May 1927, Page 4

OPOSSUM SKINS.

REDUCED ROYAL'! V SOUGHT

WELLINGTON, May 11

lieprosou tat ions were made to the Minister for Internal A Hairs by a deputati n from the licensed lirr.k-is under

the oj'essfim :i:it i at tin* end o! last week, urging that there should lie ret isiou in the matter of llio paymentol rovalties.

It was pointed out by the spokesman, Mr lan .Maekay, of Dunedin, that some years ago. when there was no open market tor opossum skins, owing lo the scarcity of skins, they brought ill Iron. lOs to Ins each. It was thought at that time that a tax of Is per skin liv the Government was a fair charge, hut when the season became an open one the price was seriously alfeeteil by the number of skins that were forthcoming. The price in the Wellington district for the las! Seven years had been ns Sd per skin. It uas considered, in these circumstances, that Ihe tax of Is per skin, which still obtained, was out of all proportion to the value of the article, and to whatever services were rendered by die State or the Acclimatisation Societies ill procuring them. In Australia a u per (ent. tax was fixed on what was actually paid to the trapper.

Air Mai •kay said it was considered that the present tax was a serious bar to what might he a very good industry. If the royalty were reduced the benefit would he to the trapper in a major way, ami to the broker in a minor way.

Touching upon the question of trapping control, .Mr Maekay said that the idea of the royalty originally was to pieyent poaching, and to prevent s 1 lioolhoys and others getting skins. That wins tp lie revised at the end of three years, hut there had lieen no revision. He suggested that, the industry had grown to such nil extent that a special Department should he set up to deal with the subject. They would like to see large .stretches of Imsli land opened up for the rearing of opossums exclusively. Expert advice might he obtained on that point. At present, lie said, the revenue being received by Acclimatisation Societies was out of all projxirtioh to the value rendered to the industrv.

In reply to the Minister, the speaker said he would favour the Government purchasing the skins if the Government would undertake to develop the industry to the best advantage without interfering unduly with private enterprise.

The Minister remarked that a reduction of' the tax would not make any difference to the broker, and he doubted very Hindi if the trapper would got very much benefit from it. However, the deputation had made suggestions giving food for thought, and the Department would oensider the matter and see wlint could he done.