RABBIT PEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 February 1943, Page 2

RABBIT PEST

INCREASE IN WAIRARAPA REPORTED AT FARMERS’ UNION MEETING. POSSIBILITY OF BOARD BEING SET UP. “The rabbit menace has to be attacked. With a dry season they multiply, and we all know how they migrate," observed Mr Hugh Morrison, president of the Wairarapa Provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, at a meeting of farmers held in Masterton yesterday afternoon. Mr L. T. Daniell presided. A resolution was passed that a committee be appointed to go into the question of setting up a Rabbit Board in the district from the present boards in the north to Cape Palliser, the committee to report to a general meeting of farmers before March 31. The committee appointed is composed of Messrs A. H. Fallooh, A. Keir, J. E. Broad, James Andrew, W. I. Irons, Hugh Morrison, T. Beetham, A. Me- i. Gregor and R. W. Kebbell. The resolution was not passed unanimously. It was decided to bring the shortage of pollard for poisoning purposes before the notice of the authorities. •Mr W. D. L. McDonald, of the Department of Agriculture, said that there were now no supplies of Some farmers were opposed to the use of phosphorised pollard, as the rabbits’ skins were lost. In the Tinui district a rabbit association had been formed which covered 66,000 acres, and a man had been rabbiting for two or three years. Last year he took off 890 rab-.. bits. Some years ago he would have secured that number in a month. The Department could take action against farmers who did not destroy rabbits. If a rabbit board were formed the' board could take any action it cared against the rabbit pest. In an association, each farmer paid for the rabbiter while he was on his place. Mr lorns said he had never before seen rabbits so thick in the Martin-borough-Featherston area. They were thick also in the Tauherenikau River area. Mr F. B. Vallance said rabbits were thick in the Te Wharau district. While travelling at night he had run over ten in his car. Others present at the meeting gave similar instances. Mr James Andrew urged members to avoid scrapping rabbit associations in favour of a rabbit board. He said that practically every rabbiter was away with the armed forces, and if associations were not working particularly well because of the shortage of men the associations should be retained until things returned to normal. It was decided to make representations to the manpower authorities to have rabbiters released from camp.