Feilding Acclimatisation Society

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 35, 11 February 1937, Page 3

Feilding Acclimatisation Society

MEETING OF DISTRICT COUNCIL. The council of the Feilding and District Acclimatisation Society met on Tuesday evening, Mr. P. P. Stevens (chairman) presiding. There were also present Messrs. E. Ingram, G. Laurence, J. Waugh, D. McKay, T. Burne, D. G. Fraser, W. J. Alpe, N. Rosoman and C. Wickham (secretary). Arising out of tho minutes of the last meeting the secretary reported that he had received a letter from tho Wanganui Society in which it was stated that it was not proposed to increase the shooting license fee to 25s and this, ho considered inconsistent with tho decision of the Feilding Society to agree to the recommendation of tho North Island Council of Acclimatisation Societies to contribute 5s per license to tho vermin control fund, as it was not possible to make such a levy out of the £1 license fee. In adopting the recommendation of the council tho Feilding Society had assumed that tho societies interested would automatically raise the shooting license fee to 25s to enable the 5s to be paid to the vermin fund. Mr. Wickham said that the Feilding Society could not pay the 5s out of the £1 license. Reporting later, following a telephonic communication with the Wanganui Society, tho secretary said that Wanganui intended to pay its contribution to tho vermin control fund of 5s per license out of its reserves and would not therefore require to increase its license fee. Mr. Alpe stated that he understood that the Minister of Internal Affairs had already indicated that he intended providing that the license fee for shootists would be raised to 25s for the coming season and if that was so Wanganui would require to fall into line. Mr. Wickham stated that most of the societies in the North Island seemed to be satisfied that the fee should be increased to 25s and it was agreed that Feilding would require to ask for the increased fee. Notification was received from the Minister of Internal Affairs of the recently gazetted regulations prohibiting absolutely tho sale or use of birdlime. These regulations provided for substantial penalties for any breach. Tho North Canterbury Society wrote accepting the Feilding Society’s order for 25 brace of pheasants at £1 per brace for delivery this month. Discussing the liberation of the birds, Mr. 1), G. Fraser suggested that those farmers of the district who had been carefully watching the pheasants previously liberated should receive consideration in the matter of new liberations. He felt that a number of ~ic South Island bred pheasants should be liberated on those farms where the society knew that they would be cared for and given every chance. Tho chairman agreed with the suggestion and following discussion it was decided to liberate 20 birds locally and 30 in the outlying districts. In connection with the forthcoming meeting of the North Island Council of Acclimatisation Societies, to bo held at Hawera, Messrs. Stevens and Wickham were appointed delegates to represent Feilding. The chairman reported that in reply to an enquiry from the Department of Internal Affairs as to tho views of the society ou the question of providing a shorter shooting season by delaying the opening day, he had suggested, after consultation with the secretary, that it might be desirable in the case of pheasants, but not so in respect of duck which were known to commence mating in July. The society was only agreeable to a later opening day for pheasants if all other societies in the North Island were agreeable. The meeting endorsed the chairman’s action. Regarding tho dam of the Alaungawairiki stream at Mangawcka it was reported that the cost of having this demolished was estimated at £45, an item of expenditure which the society was not at the moment prepared to incur. The matter was accordingly held over. Members discussed at some length the matter of poaching in the Ashhurst district where tho illegal taking of game was stated to be fairly rife. It was agreed to take steps to combat the matter.

The polution of neighbouring rivers and streams was also discussed and suitable action decided upon.