A RABBIT BOARD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 June 1938, Page 8

A RABBIT BOARD

POSITION OF THE FARMERS’ UNION. (To the Editor.) Sir, —In reply to Mr Tinkham’s letter in your columns of the 9th instant, he attributes the recent effort to establish a Wairarapa Rabbit Board to members of the Farmers’ Union, and accuses them of trying to place their own responsibility for the destruction of rabbits upon other shoulders. I can definitely assure Mr Tinkham that the recent meetings held to consider the formation of a rabbit board were in no way originated or fostered by the Farmers' Union, and further that the Farmers’ Union was not even notified officially that a body of settlers had taken steps to form a board. When the publication of the reports of the meetings came before the Farmers' Union the movement was dealt with by the following resolutions which were carried unanimously:— Tinui branch: “That this representative meeting of Tinui branch of the Farmers’ Union objects to the inclusion of Castlepoint County in the proposed Wairarapa Rabbit Board.” Alfrcdton branch: “That this branch is of opinion that in the campaign for the extermination of rabbits, Wairarapa would be better served by a system of County Council control, than by the formation of a cumbersome Rabbit Board area with inadequate district representation.” Wairarapa provincial executive: “That the Department of Agriculture be requested to notify this executive before taking any further steps towards the formation of a Wairarapa Rabbit Board.”

I trust this explanation will show exactly the stand taken by the Farmers’ Union after the movement had been thrust upon its notice. —I am etc.,

JAS. WATSON, Provincial Secretary ,N.F. Farmers’ . Union. Masterton, June 11.