PROTECTING THE HAWK

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 27 January 1916, Page 2

PROTECTING THE HAWK

ANOTHER DEPARTMENTAL

FARCE

IT struck sensible people, the sporting fraternity, and settlers generally almost dumb and incredulous when the fiat went forth through ''Order-in-Council" that hawks were in future to be protected. These wretched vermin and vultures of the air, who destroy lambs, fruit, and crops wholesale every day of the year. Protected! And without so much as consulting any of the numerous Acclimatization Societies or the settlers, who, at least, should know what is good for them. Government must be got at, and at once, for such madness.

Mr Hazard, or rather, Colonel Hazard, President of the Auckland Acclimitization Society, gives it as his opinion, as something peculiar that the Department should protect hawks when as far as he knew no agitation had been made for their protection, and no representations had been made to the Minister upon the subject by the Acclimatization Societies of the Dominion. So far as the Auckland Society was concerned the only complaint the sportsmen of the province had against the Society was that it did not take sufficient steps to exterminate the hawks. As a result of these complaints the Society agreed, on the day before the war broke out, to pay up to 12^ per cent of its revenue in bonuses for the destruction of these birds. It was his opinion at the time that the hawks could not be exterminated, but he agreed to the proposal, and the Society paid 3d each for hawks' heads. It came as a great surprise to him to see the announcement that hawks were to be protected. Already messages had reached him asking him to explain the position. He felt that sportsmen throughout the Dominion would protest against it.

Colonel Hazard further said that it was possible that the Department might have been actuated by the knowledge that hawks-were responsible in keeping down rats and mice, and, in districts where the rabbit pest was felt most, in destroying rabbits. In any case, he could not understand why the Acclimatization Societies, which had spent large sums of money upon the. destruction of hawks, were not communicated with by the Department before the Order-in-Council was issued. So far as his Society was concerned it would not prosecute anyone for destroying hawks. The object of the Secretary of the Society in making the announcement was to inform those engaged in killing hawks of the existence of the Order-in-Council, and of the fact that in consequence the Society could not pay further bonuses for hawks' heads.