PUKERAU RABBIT BOARD

Southland Times, Issue 24823, 15 August 1942, Page 4

PUKERAU RABBIT BOARD

FARMERS’ GRIEVANCE

Dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Pukerau Rabbit Board was formed was expressed by Messrs F. F. Trapskj and S. Graham, conveners of a meeting held in the Council Chambers, Gore, yesterday afternoon. Mr Trapski was chairman and he alleged that the board had been selfformed. There was a spirited discussion, and Mr Trapski’s allegation was objected to by several members of the board who were present. It was made clear that the board was properly constituted and was not selfformed. A motion moved by Mr Trapski was not seconded and after a discussion lasting more than an hour and a-half the meeting disbanded. Mr Trapski said that he was not satisfied with having to pay the rate struck by the board. The board did not have enough rabbiters and the farmers still had to kill their own rabbits. He considered the formation of the board should have been held over until after the war and that there was no necessity to impose any more rates on the farmers in these times.

Mr Graham attacked the men who had canvassed the district for names to support the board, and declared that he had been told that the board would be self-support-ing. This statement was challenged by Mr S. Edwards, who maintained that he had explained to Mr Graham that there would be a rate of 4d in order to get the Government subsidy of 4d. Mr Trapski moved that the farmers be allowed to do their own rabbiting until after the war, and that the rate collected this year be held for the employment of returned soldiers when they returned to civil life. Tire motion was not seconded and after further discussion the meeting broke up.