PUKERAU

Southland Times, Issue 24234, 18 September 1940, Page 3

PUKERAU

RABBIT_BOARD Twenty-two landholders attended a meeting in the local hall, for the purpose of forming a district Rabbit Board. Mr G. Gordon presided and extended a welcome to Messrs D. McPherson (Waianiwa), T. McKenzie (Wrights Bush) and G. C. Burgess, district Inspector of Stock. Messrs McPherson and McKenzie, who have been members of the New River Hundred Rabbit Board since its formation seven years ago, addressed the meeting. It was strange, Mr McPherson said, that in spite of the improved methods of farming adopted during recent years the rabbit was still a serious pest in a large part of the province. Statistics showed that 1825 tons of rabbits, equivalent to over two million carcasses, were exported annually from the port of Bluff. In addition to this total the skins sold represented at least another million. As this number was caught each year, it showed, the speaker said, that outside of rabbit board districts, there was no diminution in the number of rabbits in the country. The feed eaten by the rabbits of the province would graze 160,000 sheep, which, producing a return of £1 per head would show a profit of £160,000 compared with £60,000 secured for the rabbits. The most satisfactory way of fighting the rabbit was to form a rabbit board, which took over the responsibility. The Government paid a yearly subsidy of fourpence an acre on an area of not less than 20,000 acres, and a rate of fourpence an acre levied by the board plus the revenue from the sale of skins made up the required revenue. A board usually comprised five ratepayers and the district stock inspector. Messrs McKenzie and Burgess also spoke in support of the proposal. A motion that a district rabbit board* be formed was carried. A provisional committee comprising Messrs C. H. Potter, S. B. Edwards, A. Herron, J. Clement and G. Gordon was appointed to further the project in the outlying districts.