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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2365, 15 October 1880, Page 2

The great land question in New Zealand is afflicted with two evils or pests, which, although distinct in their characteristics are equally annoying in their consequences. The existence of the aboriginal landowner in the North is hardly a greater hindrance to settlement than that of the rabbit pest in the

South. Of the two afflictions the Northern one is probably the least formidable for it is decreasing gradually with the extinction of the Maori race, while the rabbits are growing every day more numerous. The settlers of Southland have been waging war with the invaders for years past, but some of them have been worsted in the struggle. All kinds of devices have been tried—men, dogs, guns, and poison—but the alarming fecundity of the domestic rabbit, once it determines to occupy the land, seems to be proof against human ingenuity however destructive. It is a hard thing to hear of old runholders white-haired pioneers, who desire to bury their bones peacefully and hand down the hills and valleys of their adoption, like the ancient patriarchs, to their children’s children,being evicted from their estates and their homes. These evictions, however, have been going on for some time past, and they are gradually becoming more frequent. If matters are allowed to progress as they are doing a large portion of Otago and Southland will shortly be in the position of Ireland, with this slight difference that instead of tenants being driven to the dernier necessity of emigrating, it will he the landowners and lessees. A considerable number of runs have been rendered worthless already, one or two have been leased for rabbit breeding purposes, and in one way and another the State is being robbed of its legitimate land revenue, and the sheep and their owners deprived of their means of livelihood. The Waste Land Board of Otago has been interviewed on the subject, and the representations regarding the inroads made by the rabbits of Southland on the pastoral interest are realising their serious attention. It seems that the squatters down South have grown sick of employing men and guns, only to iind that the rabbit nuisance flourishes in spite of all efforts at suppression. Moreover, they have an additional grievance, seeing that they have to keep up a standing army at their own cost, while the squatters of the North Island are protected by armed constables at the cost of the country. There is certainly something in the argument that if the Government is justified in clearing the Maori pest for the benefit of the northern land-shark, the southern squatter has a moral right to similar aid against the rabbit post. The Otago Land Board have passed the following resolution : “ That Mr Fraser’s letter bo referred “ to the Government, with a recom- “ mendation that immediate steps “ should be taken by the Government “ to destroy the rabbits on the runs at “ present unoccupied, from the fact that “ they are infested with those pests, “ which renders it almost impossible for “ the runholders holding the adjoining “ country to cope with the pest, and “ which if unchecked will have a most “ disastrous effect upon the whole public “ estate.” We may add that it is proposed that the unemployed and the armed constabulary, now engaged in opening up Maori territory, should be fairly divided, and that while the services of one portion are devoted to the Maori nuisance, the other half will have their attention diverted to rabbits. Of course the district of Taranaki may not relish the idea, but the claims of that homo of political railways—Southland —can hardly bo ignored.