TOKOROA.

Putaruru Press, Volume III, Issue 74, 26 March 1925, Page 3

TOKOROA.

THE RABBIT BOARD.

Past Year’s Work. Preparing for New Season. A meeting of the Tokoroa Rabbit Board was held at Tokoroa last week. The members present were: Messrs. L. Hamilton (chairman), J. Campbell, A. Sloper, D. Carr Rollett, J. E. West and H. Cleland (Government stock inspector). Jn attendance were the sec- : retary (Mr. J. R. O. Lochhead) and the board’s inspector (Mr. J. Price). Correspondence from the owners of the Maraetai block was submitted, asking for adjustment of the total area of the block within the board’s district, as shown on the rate roll, and adjustment of the area as between the respective owners. The matter was left to the chairman and the secretary to arrange. A statement of the board’s finances showed a sound position at the close of this, its first, year. The rate of

Id per acre over the board’s area of 90,000 odd acres had so far returned £250, while the secretary anticipated another £IOO before the end of the month, leaving about £3O only in outstanding rates. In addition, the board would be entitled to Government subsidy on all the rates received before the end of the month, and so could apparently rely on another £3OO to £350 from these sources. The overdraft, which was limited to £270, amounted now* to only £7B, so that there was every indication that as from the beginning of the new’ financial year no < overdraft would be required. The matter of applying for the Government subsidy was left to the secretary. A general discussion in review of the past year’s work took place. Nearly one ton of phosphorised pollard had been laid and eight drums of bi-sulphide used. On the whole the poisoned pollard had been very effective in rabbit destruction, especially through the virgin scrub and tussock country and the adjoining farm lands. Complaint, however, was made about rabbits coming across the northern boundary of the board’s area, along the Waotu-Lichfield road, and restocking land within the area. A further rabbit board area for the northern territory, say, as had been proposed, as far as Putaruru or beyond, should obviate this. Poisoning in the burrows with bi-sulphide was successful so far as it went, but this method was too slow- and costly for a large area, and would in future be confined to cleaning up the worst warrens in the open grass country.

The board arranged to start the new season’s work early in April, it being resolved to order forthwith half a-ton of poisoned pollard, and six drums of bi-sulphide for this purpose, Mr. Cleland to secure a suitable foreman, who in turn should engage suitable men- to work under him. It was agreed to write Mr. Morris, of Cambridge, stock inspector for the Putaruru area, asking him to arrange for a general poisoning- in that district simultaneous with the work in the Tokoroa district.

A good deal of discussion took place on the question of private poisoning. This terminated with a resolution that it be declared as a matter of policy that the board discourage general poisoning by owners, and where paddocks have to be left by the board’s gangs for the safeguarding of owners’ stock or similar reasons the owner he supplied with poison free for poisoning such paddocks, he to be responsible for doing the work, and no wages to be paid therefor. It was also resolved to prohibit commercial trapping within the board’s area, on the grounds that trapping was quite an ineffective method of exterminating rabbits and so frightened them that they would not take the poison. Accounts totalling £27 were passed for payment, and the payment of wages totalling £47 was approved.

It was resolved that in future the board meet on the third Monday in each month.