WAR ON THE RABBIT

Shannon News, 29 November 1927, Page 3

WAR ON THE RABBIT

EFFORTS IN AUSTRALIA. To assist settlers to protect themselves against rabbits and other pests the Commonwealth Government in 1])23, according to the Hon. T. Patcr--on (Federal Minister for Markets and Migration) mado available the sum ot £250,000. No interest charge was mado, :}ttd. settlers were allowed 20 years in which to repay the cost oft the wiVcnctting supplied to them through the Stages. The whole of this amount was expended. Last session the Commonwealth . Parliament agreed to the Wire and Wirenetting Act, under which an additional amount of £3,000,000 was being mado available to the States, over a period of sixe years, to fufther assist settlers in securing netting. The amount was advanced to the State at a rate of' interest not exceeding 4 per cent. The highest rate which could be charged to the settler by the State was 5 per cent. The advance was repaid by the State to the Commonwealth, and by the settler to the State in half-yearly payments at the rate of 2 per cent., per annum on the' amount advanced. The difference,.between the rate charged by the Commonwealth and the ratepaid by the settlor to the State was credited to a fund established for the purpose of providing future supplies of wirenetting. The scheme, said Mr. Paterson, was a very liberal one, as it meant that the State actually repaid in cash only half of the advance, tile remaining half of the payment being credited to interest on instalments. Queensland and Western Australa were taking full advantage of the Commonwealth scheme but the other States had nod yet accepted the proposal. The whole, of the arrangements connected with the Commonwealth Advances for Wire netting were carried out by the Department of Markets.