NOT FAVOURED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1938, Page 9

NOT FAVOURED

ESTABLISHMENT OF RABBIT BOARD.

FARMERS' UNION OPPOSITION. Further proof of the fairly general opposition to the establishment of the proposed rabbit board in the Wairarapa, was given at yesterday’s annual meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union. Mr R. W. Kebbell said he had once paid £l5 in rabbit board rates and had three rabbits killed on his property. It was decided to ask the Department of Agriculture to notify the Executive before taking any further steps towards the formation of the board.

The discussion centred round a remit from the Alfredton branch, which was of the opinion that if a change from the present system were made in the campaign for the extermination of rabbits, the Wairarapa would be better served by a system of county council control than by the formation of a board area with probable inadequate district representation. Mr Kebbell pointed out that the remit was the result of a circular, received by the Eketahuna County Council from a body of persons who wanted to establish a rabbit board for the whole of the Wairarapa. Alfredton had advised the county that if a change must be made it preferred control by the local county to being dragged into an extremely large rabbit board, which would be unwieldy and would allow very little say to individual districts.

“We do not want to be dragged into the proposed board,” Mr Kebbell added, “and this is our way of telling the people we are not in favour of it. I have had previous experience with rabbit boards and it once cost me £l5 in rates and only had three rabbits killed on my property.” “The trouble will be to get out of the board once you get in,” remarked Mr J. L. Heckler,, who said a number of ratepayers in the Alfredton district were not affected by rabbits.

“The scheme has been unanimously rejected by the Tinui branch, which wants nothing whatever to do with it,” observed Mr James Andrew. Districts free from rabbits did not want to be rated to pay for the destruction of the pests in other parts. Mr L. T. Daniell thought some explanation should be given of the reasons behind the proposal. He said he had been surprised to see a representative of the Agriculture Department at the first meeting called to discuss the proposed board. The Department had the power and a huge staff of inspectors and should be able to deal efficiently with the problem. The chairman, Mr Hugh Morrison: “What do you want more rabbit boards for?”

Mr C. C. Jackson said the Department had good inspectors who were doing efficient work in his district. It would be all right if everyone did as the inspectors suggested. The proposal had been discussed three or four years ago, remarked Mr Morrison, but instead of setting up a board they had secured three more inspectors. They had made a big difference in his district and everyone was satisfied.