ACCLIMATISATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 66, 23 July 1913, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION.

SOCIETIES’ CONFERENCE

[Per Press Association.]

Wellington, July 23

The acclimatisation societies' conference opened to-day. The president (Mr Tripp) in his address, congratulated the Government in bringing an expert from Canada to report on the New Zealand fisheries, and he expressed the opinion that the Government should consider the question of looking for a young man in New Zealand to take up the scientific side of the fisheries and advise the Government as to the best means of improvement regarding red deer. He was sorry to say there had been a distinct deterioration in Nelson and Wellington in the red deer herds. The election of officers resulted as follows: —President, Mr L. Tripp (Wellington); vice-Presidcnt, Mr C. { Fitzroy (Hawke’s Bay); treasurer, Mr Astler (Wellington); secretary, Mr Dasent (Wellington); council, Lieutenant Hazard (Auckland), J. Elliott (Grey), W. Pollard (Marlborough),, Anderson (Canterbury), G. McIntosh (Otago), E. Russell (Southland), W. Kirkwood (Stratford), A. Southey (Tauranga), J. McLean (Taranaki), E. Liffiton (Wanganui), A. Lowe (Westland), and E. Stowe (South Canterbury). A resolution was passed requesting thq Government to impose a special license of 5s on all persons carrying rifles of 25 calibre and under; that a general local license be issued at 20s for shooting imported and native, game ; that licenses for shooting native game be issued at 10s per annum. There was strong opposition to the Auckland proposal to make a shooting license issued in any one place applicable to the whole of the Dominion, and the motion was lost by a

large majority. Tho President said one of the most important matters the conference had to deal with was to get protection put on opossums again as soon as possible. He thought opossums had been condemned without a fair trial, and that the Government had made a great mistake in removing the protection. . *

The conference passed a resolution that the Government be urged to reinstate protection on opossums, providing for an open season.during three month® in each year. May, June and July, or subject to the recommendation of the local society, that a license fee of £1 upwards he imposed and that all skins taken durm'gt.he opelr season miiat he sold within thirty dav® after the close of the seas <l* .kk ,•' j « V i HtH f 11; Sony,,;. i,.( • -