SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2509, 30 May 1893, Page 2

SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

A conference of delegates from the various Road Boards in the county was held at the Geraldine Road Board office yesterday, commencing at 10.30 a.m! The conference was held to discuss the question of Small Birds Nuisance. The following were present—Messrs F. R Flatman and Brophy, (Geraldine), J. Talbot, (Temuka), R. Thew and C. G. Tripp, (Mount Peel), and 0. N. Orbell, (Levels). Mr F. R. Flatman, who was voted to the chair explained the reason for calling the meeting, and said he hoped they would after conference be able to deal in a better manner with the small bird nuisannce than hitherto. Mr Talbot thought that the conference was a move in the right direction, and was a good suggestion from the Geraldine ratepayers. The small bird nuisance was an important question and a considerable sum of money was expended on the destruction of birds. At present they were working in the dark and in a desultory manner. He gave the history of the small birds nuisance and said the first thing done in the matter was the forming of a sparrow club at Temuka. This was not sufficient to grapple with the nuisance and it was afterwards handed over to the local bodies. To his mind poisoning was about the best way of dealing with the matter. His board did not buy birds' eggs and heads last year because the benefits derived from this method were not equal to the expenditure. He also, considered that the collecting of egga and birds heads was demoralising to children who took part in it. Another thing children did not destroy the nests but preserved them so that they could get as many eggs as possible. It was now legal to lay poisoned grain on the roads and this pretty well covered the whole ground only that poisoning at the present time, was not under a satisfactory system. He thought it doubtful whether or not birds are any more plentiful to-day than they were 8 or 10 years ago and he believed that something had kept them in check of which they were not cognisant. The Levels Road Board had sometime ago suggested that the County Council should tako the control of the nuisance. The Temuka Road Board was in favor of this but the Geraldine board was in favor of local action. He maintained that the County Council should have the control of the matter because the action would be more uniform and the burden would be more uniformly borne. If the County Council was given control of the matter he would suggest that an expert be obtained who with assistance would go through the whole district centralising his work for a week or a fortnight in each district. The expert would keep himself apprised of the latest and best methods of poisoning grain and would be able to distribute this amongst ratepayers if desired. This would tend to bring out some specialist on the matter.

Mr C- N. Orbell endorsed most of the sentiments of Mr Talbot. The Levels Board had proposed that the County Council should take the matter over because the Road Boards were not taking concerted action, and if the Council had control they could deal more effectively with the nuisance. But on the other hand, if the Boards would come to a unanimous agreement and would adopt some universal means of destroying the birds they would do the work better than the Council. The Council would not take as much interest in the matter aa local bodies would do. His Board had delivered poison 3d grain free of charge to ratepayers, and were very much in favor of buying eggs and heads. He did not agree with Mr Talbot that collecting eggs and head 3 had a demoralising effect on children. Last year his Board employed a man with a horse and cart for two months to work the whole district, which he did twice in succession. This man poisoned his own grain and was paid 10s per day, and it was the intention of the Levels Board to employ him again. Ratepayers thought that the man had done a great deal of good, and he, (Mr Orbell), had seen no less than 30 or 40 dead birds lying together on the roadway. To obtain good results there should be unanimous action throughout the district.

Mr 0. Gr. Tripp agreed with Mr Orbell, and thought that very good results might obtain from a man with a "hobby" for bird poisoning. The county council could appoint suoh an expert, who would have assistants under his direction. He was not in favor of leaving the matter in the hands of road boards, because a board —such as the Mount Peel Road Board—in a pastoral district would not take as much interest in the matter as a board La an agricultural district, like the Levels. He wandered whether it would be advantageous for the country to import the sparrow hawk or other natnral enemy of the small birds. He explained one system, used in England, of catching small birds in hedges, by means of a lantern «H<l net on. a favk »l§ht, JJq

favor- of universal action througaout the colony. The chairman said he had received a letter from Mr M. C. Orbeil, apologising for not being present, and stating that in his opinion small birds were rapidly increasing. Mr R. Thew handed in a few extracts from newspaper articles dealing with the small birds' nuisance, and these were read by the chairman. Mr Thew said that five or six years ago the Geraldine board asked his board to co-operate with them in dealing with the small birds' pest, but he opposed the measure because the school children were members of the Humane Society, and the collecting of birds' eggs and heads was opposed to the principles under which they were instructed. He thought that an effective way of dealing with the matter would be to have a special Act passed, making it compulsory for each farmer to supply a certain number of birds' heads, according to his holding. Mr Orbeil did not agree with Mr Thew's idea, and asked how it would affect pastoralists such as Mr Tripp. Mr K. Brophy believed in united action by local bodies, both with regard to poisoning and buying eggs and heads. Mr Talbot did not think local bodies could get concerted action on the matter, and pointed out that if the County Council had control and appointed an expert the latter would poison his own grain, and thus it would be reliable and fresh.

Mr F. R. Flatman was not agreeable to hand the matter definitely over to the County Council, but would not object to giving them a trial for say one year. One thing in favor of Road Boards having control was that they were more directly interested in the destruction of small birds than the Council would be. He did not think that one expert could work the whole district effectually. Birds generally took flight from a place where poisoning was being carried on, and the only way to deal with the matter would be te lay poison all over the agricultural parts of the country simultaneovsly. This should be brought about by an Act of Parliament. Road Boards had not been useless in the past, but had done much to keep the pest in check. He instanced a case in his own district of how quickly small birds migrate: one day there was scarcely a small bird to be seen, and in a few days the place was just smothered with them. He believed that poisoning was a very effective method, but he did not condemn the the buying of eggs and heads. The latter method had been very effective in Geraldine district. He agreed with Mr Talbot that on first being introduced into the colony small birds increased at a very rapid rate for a few years, but since then some natural cause had checked their progress. This was the same case with trout; when they were introduced they spread quickly, but owing to the diminishing of their natural food or some other cause they did not now show such an increase.

Mr Talbot moved and Mr Tripp seconded, and it waß carried—" That in the opinion of this conference the necessary action for effectively dealing with the small birds nuisance could probably be more advantageously undertaken by the County Council than by each local body acting separately, and that with a view to testing this opinion the Road Boards be asked to recommend this course for a two years trial." The motion was carried unanimously, and delegates present agreed to bring it before their respective Boards for endorsement before forwarding it to the County Council. CONFLUENCE OF COUNTY COUNCILS. Mr Orbell suggested that a conference of County Councils' be held to discuss the question of having the Small Birds Nuisance Act amended. After dißcusßion it was carried on the motion of Mr Talbot, secconded by Mr Tripp,—" That it be a recommendation to the Geraldine County Coucil from this meeting as representing four road boards that they endeavour to bring about a conference of the chairmen of the Ashburton, McKenzie, Selwyn and Geraldine County Councils, and any others likely to join for the purpose of considering the present law with regard to dealing with the small birds nuisance, and to suggest, if possible, amendments for more efficiently and uniformily dealing with the same, the conference to be held during the month of June next." LOCAL BODIES FINANCIAL YEARS. Mr Flatman brought up the question of local bodies' financial year. He considered that the acts should be amended so that all local bodies financial years should end on the same date. It was finally decided on the motion of Mr Orbell, seconded by Mr Tripp,— " That there being some considerable inconvenience caused to local contributing bodies to the Timaru Harbour Board Interest Fund, on account of the financial year ending, in the case of the Harbor Board, on 31st December in each year, and in that of the local bodies on May 31st, it be a recommendation that the Geraldine County Council endeavour to obtain an alteration of the present system to one of uniformity as regards the close of financial years." THE RATING ACT. Mr Flatman thought the time had come when Government should add a penal clause to the Rating Act. Mr Orbell supported this. Some ratepayers in his district who paid their rates punctually even thought they should get a reduction. It certainly was unfair that one man should be allowed six months to pay in while another paid up to date. Mr Thew objected. He thought ratepayers should have the whole year to pay their rateain. Mr Talbot was in favar of Mr Flatman's suggestion, hecause he saw how well it worked in the collection of the Property Tax, but he would not like to see the intere3t too heavy. It was resolved—" That in view of jthe trouble experienced in collecting rates within a reasonable time after their being demanded, this meeting is of opinion that it would tend to remedy this trouble by local bodies being empowered to add 5 per cent, to rates unpaid within three months of demand; that the Geraldine County Council be asked to endeavor to obtain legislation in this direction." BLACK BIBDS. Mr Flatman thought that the protection should be taken from black birds, but after a short discussion the matter was dropped. THE CONFERENCE. On the motion of Mr Talbot and seconded by Mr Tripp, it was resolved " That the thanks of this meeting be conveyed to the Geraldine Road Board for their acting on the suggestion made at their ratepayers meeting in calling a conference, and that a similar conference be held annually on the last Monday in April, each Road Board being asked to send two delegates; the next meeting to be called together under the auspices of the Temuka Road Board." Mr Flatman on behalf of his Board thanked the meeting for the above expression of opinion, and he was sure they aU wifihgd, fa d.Q tliQ beat for ths M of

their adoption, and thought that the conference was a step in the right direction. THE HESSIAN PLY. Mr Thew handed in extracts from papers on Hessian Fly in New Zealand, and stated that the fly had found its way to the Canterbury district. The meeting then terminated.