MANAWATU RABBIT BOARD

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40042, 21 December 1929, Page 3

MANAWATU RABBIT BOARD

TO TAKE OVER CONTROL OF RABBITS IN HOBO WHEN U A DISTRICT.

SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE.

On Thursday afternoon the Manawatu Rabbit Board was waited on by. a deputation consisting of Messrs S. Jackson, W. Hannan, F. S. Simeox, Hill and M. R. Findlay (Government Stock Inspector), representative of the settlers in the Horowhenua district with a request that the Manawatu Rabbit Board should taike over the control of the rabbit pest in the Horowhenua district.

Mr. Hannan outlined the initial steps taken by Horowhenua settlers, the calling of a public meeting and the decision to endeavour to link up with the Manawatu Rabbit Board and said the deputation had come that day to ask the Board to take over the control of the pestrin their district.

Mr. B. G. Gower (chairman) said thq Board had given the proposal a good deal of consideration after it had first been mooted at the previous meeting by Mr. Findlay. There was one drawback, however, and that was that the Manawatu Rabbit Board Trustees had just been elected as representatives on the Boai’d and their term oh oiffijce was for three years. • This would mean that if the Horowhenua district was to be taken into the Manawatu district, Horowhenua would be without representation of the Boaa’d for about two and a half years. Then again, the Government had just brought down legislation reducing the number of Trustees from eight? to five and when at next election representatives from the southern end came on to the Board it would mean that the representation from the northern end would be greatly reduced and this was not altogether desirable as the Board’s district as at present defined was very big and any lessening of representation would not be deemed advisable.

Mr. W. Hannan said that there was no difficulty as far as they w ore'concerned in the matter raised by the chairman. 'They fully realised that the Board was already constituted and were in no hurry to seek direct representation. They bad witnessed the successful manner in which the. (Board had carried out, its useful woaik in the Mara watu and would much rather that they handled the work to be carried out in- the south than to be left to form a Board of their own. He suggested that the southern people be allowed to elect two trustees who could attend Manawatu Rabbit Board meetings in a purely advisory capacity. The Board had a grip of the whole work and there was no advantage to be gained by direct representation at present. Mr. Gower: Legally your representatives would have no voice in (he conduct of our meetings.

Mir. Findlay said that he understood that the Board was guided to a great extent by the repprt of its .inspector. If Borowhenua was taken in and two trustees elected they would merely put forward suggestions in a similar manner and members would then be able. to gain some knowledge of the area they weire dealing with.

Mr. Gower said that the Board’s trustees were scattered all over the district find were able to assist the inspector in a great degree. For that reason he could not understand the Government reducing the number of trustees as they served a very useful purpose.

Mr. .1. Glovn said -that if the southern district was taken in, the .Board’s overhead expenses would become fairly heavy again and it would he neeessaay to appoint an assistant inspector as their present inspector would not he able to cope with all the work. The southern area would have to be saddled with a much bigger rate than the Manawatu to start with. It would be better for them to collect their own rate.

Mr. Findlay said that the formation of a separate board in the south and the appointment of an assistant inspector under the present Manawatu inspector would not comply with the Act as When the Manawatu inspector was in the

southern area his expenses would have to be charged up to the llorowhenua Board. The aim of the southern people was to reduce overhead expenses and" the Department’s aim was to form bigger hoards. 'Some of the Rabbit Boards had already amalgamated and on the East IC'oast there was a Board controlling millions of acres with only five members. Mr. W. E. 'Barber considered the proposition placed before the meet-' ing by the Horowhenua settlers, a good thing. There were only one

or two details to overcome and he thought if two representatives from Horowhenua attended Board meeting in an advisory capacity in the meantime it would meet the ease. They would have no power to vote hut they would get their work carried out just the same as if they were representatives of the Manawatu district.

Mr. S. Jackson: If you allow us to come in on that understanding we will be just as satisfied as if we had direct representation. The main question will be the rate to he struck.

Mr. Barber: You will spend your own money. A special rate will have to he struck, but by good work this will soon be reduced to a minimum. You will he rated according to your effort. The secretary submitted figures in connection with the Manawatu Board’s activities which showed that it would be advisable to strike a rate of 2d per acre for the first year in the new area. The chairman said that was what Lad happened in the Manawatu district. A 2d rate had been struck which gave them a surplus of £(>00. This had been placed at fixed deposit and the rate was now down to fd and the surplus being used to make up any difference. The Manawatu Board’s area, however, comprised 86,000 acres.

Mr. Jackson said the HorowJienua district had not yet been defined but it was estimated, to comprise about 43,000 acres. Mr. Findlay said that figure included the borough of Otaki. Deducting that and excluding areas of ten acres and‘ less the district would comprise 30,000 acres. Rabbits were not nearly so bad in the district as they had been in the Manawatu and the rate might possibly be reduced on that score. He suggested that if the Board accepted the new area that-a part time inspector be put on under the present inspector. The country was fairly clear and for the most part could be done by car. There was a small area of undivided Native land in the district but there was a special provision in the Act providing that the Crown had to pay for rabbit destruction work carried out there. There would be 130 latepayers in the new area. M|r. F. C. Raikes suggested as an alternative to the Board taking the new area in that they undertake the control of noxious weeds. The rate at present being imposed on the farmers was not hard and instead of reducing it by slightly enlarging the district by taking in the Horowhenua. area he would sooner see the noxious weeds taken in hand. Somebody would have to take the matter up sooner or later and why not the Rabbit Board which now held the confidence of the fanners and would see that no hardship was imposed. It would lie far better than letting some other body step in.

Mr. Batrber considered the (Board would be better able to handle the control of noxious weeds than another body. * The chairman said the Manawatu Rabbit Board had pushed the Manawatu, County Council into having lupin declared a noxious weed owing to it providing so much cover for rabbits.

At this stage the Board decided to discuss the almngamation pro-; posal in committee and thanked the deputation for attending the meeting.

Afteir a further discussion it was unanimously decided to extend the Board’s boundary to the Otaki River and to take in the Horowhenua district as defined by the Horowhenua settlers for the purpose of rabbit eradication.

The next steps will he taken by the Horowhenua settlers and it is understood that rabbit destruction work under the Board will he commenced early next winter.