RICH RABBITERS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 July 1927, Page 4

RICH RABBITERS

11 A TJmFi’l ABLE BEST, d ' '> SYDNEY, June ’*’J. Kabbitci-’ earnings in N- 1 Wavs. at the ruling price for skins, are enough to make the average land-own-er green with envy, and uunder somoj times if rabbits are not more profitable than sheep especially after the pest ha< feasted en the sweetest and m: si nut ritinus of the grasses, -and left little f.r (lie sheep. Taking only ICO tons of rabbit skins as the turn-over in Sydney during the past fortnight, apart altogether from private sides in the country, approximating probably half as much again, it represents, at a eon-ei t alive estimate, more Ilian five and a quarter million rabbits. Take the laet 'that, lor every rabbit- killed and skinned, another escapes alive or dies in the burrow, and a fair idea of the Iced consumed by the nest can he readily obtained. This represents only the merest fraction of the rabbits depleting tiie pastures of the Stale to-Hav. U cannot he much comfort to the sheepowner, in Hie face of a shortage of feed, to know that the monetary value lof a week’s auction sales of rabbit- j skins is at ]/resent nearly £IOO.OPO. irrespective of big private sales. While one section of the community I is wishing the rabbit to tho devil, another section is earnestly praying that if will multiply. There is now talk in Sydney of experiments to explore the economic possibilities, not of the ordinary rabbit, hut of rabbits l/red under special hutch conditions for fur or wool, along tin' lilies followed by expel breeders in Great Britain and in America. It has been suggested tint! such an industry would pay Imm!' re - ly in many parts of Austialia, notably tho rich Darling Downs, in Queens-

land. and the New England district of New South Wales, where, it is helic-ved. it- would he of great value to farmers and orehardi.sts as a side-line, requiring very small capital. Whether the Federal GovernnienL however. would look kindly upon such an industry, in face ol the present rabbit menace is anot'ier question. When, some time ago, a big syndicate was formed for the purpose of establishing the industry in Queensland, with the best, rabbit,s procurable in Britain ns a foundation, the Commonwealth Government admitted that the importation of these animals could not lead to an increase of the rabbit pest, hut it decided at the same time that the “importation is not warranted.”