THE RABBIT PEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2732, 1 November 1894, Page 4

THE RABBIT PEST.

A meeting of pastoralists interested in the rabbit pest in South Canterbvry was held in the Geraldine County Council office on Tuesday morning. There were about 4.0 present. Mr C. G. Tripp was voted to the chair, and in opening the meeting stated how he became aware of the dangers of the rabbits spreading to South Canterbury by seeing the immense damage done by them years ago in the south. On the other hand he saw in the Bame district how efficient as a means of check and destruction the erection of rabbit fences had proved to be. He had done all he could to stir up the public to a sense of the danger, aud one result was the sending down of a Government inspector fifteen years ago, who found that there were a good many thousands of rabbits being killed then, and yet the people did not realise that there wore rabbits in the country. Since then he had kept rabbiters regularly at work himself, and had killed some hundreds a year, tar Tripp gave a narrative showing the steady and rapid increase of the rabbits in various parts of the district, to show that alarm was perfectly justified. There was every chance of the pest taking possession of the hill country, and that would mean driving the sheep ard Bheep owners off, and loss of rents to the Government. He had suggested to Mr Ritchie that the Government should help the lessees by furnishing netting free, the lessees to erect it. A Bill was dpawn up and he understood introduced, but was dropped. The best thing Sir Julius Vogel did was to sign a cheque for £IO,OOO for the erection of the rabbit fence at the Pukaki, but unfortunately the fence was 'iut up too late, as there were rabbits on both sides when erected. Mr Tripp indicated a line of fence which he advocated should be erected to save the best and larger part of South Canterbury from the inroads of the pest. One year's rent of the runs, he stated, would do all that was wanted. He asked Mr Scaife, Chief Inspector for the district, to give his opinion on the state of the country and on the advisability of fencing, Mr Scaife said he had just completed an examination of the country, and he found traces of rabbits, more or less, over the whole district. Some good might be done by fencing, but it would need to be better looked after than the present South Canterbury fence. (Applause). The rabbits must be killed on both sideß ; tha fence would not kill them. That was the mistake in regard to the last fence; it was put up too late, and the rabbits were not killed on the north side. Mr J. S. Rutherford asked Mr Scaife if he had been to the head of the Cass? He was there a week ago, aud ft was a moviug mass of rabbits. They had even eaten all the Irishman. The rabbits would soon be over to the Godley from the Case.

A letter was jread from Mr T. R. Seddon, who was unable to be present, strongly iu favor of fencing, and describing what he was doing himself in the way of fencing. Mr F. LeCren suggested that the Governrnsnt should assist by allowing reduction of renib jfcg those erecting fences. The more fencing there yae done the better chance they would have of poping with the pest. Mr Tripp said it was suggested that the Government should find the capital, and the lessees pay interest at 4 per cent. There was a Bill to that effect.

Mr Flatraan, M.H.R. for Pareora, said his idea of the Bill, which would be ready for next session, was that an area should be enclosed, of say three or four runs suitable to fence together; the Government to find the netting; the occupiers to form a rabbit board and rate themselves for interest and sinkiug fund, as is doue now for county water-racee. He realised that there was no time to be lost, and that the occupiers should have a say as to the manner in which they should be helped, and if they could agree to any course he had no doubt the Government would fall in with it. The chairman said that ha was emphatically against rabbit boards, as hole-aud-corn^ r ah" a i r3 - He would leave it to the Government. Mr LeCreu agreed tha* Government should erect the fences ana ~ a * e ne occupiers. A discussion took nlace between tho chairman and Mr Flat man about tho Bill. The former understood it had been before the House; the latter eaid it had not.

Mr 11. P*. Parker said he had drafted a Bill providiug for rabbit boards, for making a rabbit fence a legal fenco between neighbours, so that one could call upon the other to pay half tho cost, and the Minister of Lands (whom he had always found willing to do what he could for them) had promised to bring it forward. Ho referred to the sheep tax of £1 per 1000, producing £20,000 or more, and said tho flieep owners get no benefit from that. Ho looked on tho rabbit inspectors as gamekeepers, the result of their action being to preserve tho rabbits ; thoy wore doing precisely what is done by gamekeepers at Homo for preserving rabbits—they kill oil" all they can, and

introduce fresh blood from time to time. That iB just what is being done under the direction of the inspectors; they were killing all they could, and driving them about, with the effect of providiug /resh blood. Experience at Home showed that the way to destroy rabbits was to fence them in and take great care of them, showing that the only thing to cope with the rabbits is netting. If the settlers would share the expense, it would not cost much to subdivide the country, and then they would hear very little of the rabbits in a few years, especially if they had more stoats and weasels. He moved as a general resolution—" That this meeting, being of opinion that the only successful method of rabbit destruction is by rabbit netting and natural enemies, urgently request the Minister of Lands to give assistance in the shape of a subsidy towards the erection of rabbit fencing, and by obtaining more stoats and weasels to be liberated in the district." Mr J. S. Rutherford seconded the motion. On the suggestion of Mr L'eCren " or by reduction of rent" was inserted after the word " subsidy." Mr A. M. Clark thought they were going too fast. They ought to have a great deal more information than they had, and a map showing the existing fences and the proposed fences. He had no idea where they were. And as to stoats and weasels the whole community were against them. He believed they! would have to divide the whole country into strips from the hills to the sea, by netting, but without a map and a plan they could make no progress. After a further discussion Mr Parker pointed out that his motion did not clash with Mr Clark's idea. The motion was put aud carried, .17 hands being counted for it and none againsi it. Some dissent was expressed to the natural enemy part of the motion. The chairman raised the question whether weasels kill lambs, and many present denied that such a thing was ever heard of in Scotland, where weasels were plentiful. One person stated that he had found lambs killed as he believed by weasels, but others considered the evidence insufficient. A"map of the Mackenzie Country was here produced, and the line of the existing fence marked out.' Mr Scaife was asked for his opinion as to the Hues for other fences, but he declined to express any opinion until he had sent his official report to the Department. Mr A. M. Clark moved, and Mr Elworthy seconded.—" That the Government be requested to state what assistance they will give in the way of subsidy to assist any individual efforts iu fencing to prevent the encroachment of rabbits," and this was carried unanimously. It was agreed that the chairman and Messrs Clark and Rutherford should interview the Miuister of Lands on behalf of the meeting, and if possible arrange for a general meeting with him. On the suggestion of Mr Richardson it was agreed that a map should be prepared showing the actual aud proposed fence lines; and that the Department be asked to supply a copy of Inspector Scaife'B report to the chairman. „ The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman.