MASTERTON RABBIT DISTRICT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 581, 29 September 1880, Page 2

MASTERTON RABBIT DISTRICT.

A meeting of the Trustees of the above District was held on Saturday, the 25th inst. Present—Messrs Stuekey (in the chair) Cave Welch, Holmes, and Hood. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, . The Secretary reported that Mi- Wardell had paid the rate due from him. The following correspondence was then read : A letter from 0. Phillips, asking for a note of the extent and locality of land on the Opaki, the property of Mr Jacob Joseph, One from Mr Gayfor, Secretary to the Carterton Trustees, relative to the proposal made by Mr Holmes for poisoning the rabbits on the islands in the Waingawa, A telegram from the Hon J. Johnston, stating that Mr John Martin, jun., would destroy the rabbits on his propsrty at Alfredton. A letter from the Chairman of the Clyde district, stating that the Trustees of that district would most heartily cooperate with the Trustees of all other Rabbit Districts in the Colony in impressing on tho Government the importance of assisting in some way in, dealing with unoccupied Government and Native lands. On discussion, the following resolutions were passed : That Mr Phillips be informed that Mr Nathan states that he will communicate with Mv Jacob Joseph with reference to his land on the Opaki. That a reply be sent to Mr Gayfor, stating that in the opinion of these Trustees, as the settlers in the Waingawa have promised to lay poison on the islands, in that river, the expense of employing men to do so, as suggested by Mr Gayfor, is unnecessary; and that the Masterton .Trustees have directed their Inspector to procure 1001b of wheat, mix it with poison, and superintend laying the same, one-half the cost of the .material to be charged against the Carterton District. The inspector's report for the past month wa3 then read, REPORT. : ' Masterton, lltliSept., 1880./ The Chairman/. . •.!. .... Masterton Rabbit Trustees. '

Sir—l have the honor to report, for the information of the Trustees, that on Monday, 30th of August, I visitocl the properties of Messrs J, Welch, 11 Welch, J. Campbell, G. Douglas, A. McLeod, H. Welch, and H. Campbell, On,all these properties poison has been used with success. On the property belonging to Messrs Jacob Joseph and Co, no means

have yet been taken to reducethe rabbits, which are very numerous; ; : ■ / ; : : ; I uext visited the property, of Mrs W, L. Dorset,'.'upon-whom I served notice, as tho, rabbits are numerous on this land. With reference to the instructions given 'me to put a man on to kill rabbits on laud in the occupation of Mr J. Doraet, I have to report that Mr Dorset has himself employed, a, niiati. himself for this purpose, and has" moreover promised to use poison as well, and I therefore have not at present acted on those instructions.

:,. The next. property which: I' inspected was .that owned by Mr F. Hatfield. Here I find poison has been used,: and in addition to ;this one regular rabbit-manis employed: Owing to Mr Hatfield's absence I was unable to ascertain the daily average, or .whether the poison has been successful or otherwise.

I then visited the properties owned by Messrs J, O'Uonnor, J., Livingstone,: 0. Campbell, McDermot, and F. G. Moore. A considerable quantity of poison has been laid by Mr Livingstone with fair success.' On all the others poison has been used, and I do not find qhe rabbits numerous on them, On the property owned by Mr Joseph Bennett a large quantity of poison, has been laid; Mr Bennett has also one rabbit-man> with two packs of dogs. : The rabbits are not numerous on .this run, except on the banks of the Taucru, where there is thick bush.

On tho 4th inst. I posted notices to Messrs J, Johnston, Oripps,| and W. Olapham.'.' On tho 6th I visited the properties on the Upper Plain owned by Messrs McGregor Bros., Dagg, Osborne, Gorringu, Osborne, McKenzie, Falconer, and Kibblewhite. On all these the rabbits are well kept under, poison having been used on most of them. On the property belonging to Mr Lang, little has been done to keep the rabbits under, poison having been laid only once. I next inspected the property in the occupation of Mr Whitcher. On a portion of this land rabbits are numerous, no efficient steps having been taken to reduce their numbers. On the property of Messrs J. and H. Holmes I find-the rabbits well kopt under, they are, however, numerous in the bush on the banks of the Waipoua. I posted a notice to Mr W. W, Taylor, the agent of Mrs Monte, in respect of a piece of land owned by her in this vicinity. I then visited Mr Stuckey's property, on which I find the rabbits well kept under, as also on that owned by Messrs Mawley and Dodshun, where a large quantity of poison has been used. Mr 0. McLachlan and Mr Hickson have also been poisoning with success. On the land in tho Rungitumau owned by Mr J. Tuck uo poison has been used, and no efficient steps are being taken to destroy the rabbits. On the property in this block belonging to Mr R. Hare poison has been laid once only, and I am of opinion efficient steps are not being taken by the owner to keep the rabbits under. I find many landowners are making the mistake of being apparently satisfied with laying one lot of poison only. It is necessary, in order to do auy real good, to lay sneccessive lots on the same ground, as long as the rabbits will take it. Unless this done, the pest will not be reduced to any appreciable extent.

I next visited the property owned by Mr Wardell, as woll as that owned by Mr R. Cockburn. In both these cases I find the rabbits to be few, efficient means being taken to keep them under. - On the land occupied by Mr Baumber I find no poison has been usod, A greatdeal, however, has been done with the aid of dogs in reducing the rabbits in this locality ; the average, I am told, iB about 12 per day. On the property owned by Mr J. Y. Smith, poison has been used with success.

Saturday, 15th Sept, On the 13th inst. notices were posted by me on the land owned by Messrs Jacob Joseph and J. Oripps on the Opaki, and thoy were informed by postal card that this has been done. I again visited the property of Mrs W. L. Dorset, and mixed some poison for her use. I have to draw the attention of the Board to the fact that there are two Government rewhich the rabbits are exceedingly numerous,

On the 15th inst, I posted a notice on the land owned by Mrs Moles, and informed Mr W. W. Taylor, who I believe is her agent, that this has been done. I visited tlie samo day the property occupied by Mr W. Harris; here I find the rabbits kept under. I next inspeotod the properties of Mr .13. Hunt, and T. and B, Chamberlain. The rabbits are kept under on all these, a large quantity ot poison having been used by these gentlemen. On the 18th I inspected Mr Woodroofe's land on the Waingawa, The rabbits on this land are numerous, and as nothing is being done to reduce them I served Mr Woodroofe with notice.' On the properties of Mr Griffin aud Mr Butler I find the rabbits are few.

I again visited the property of Mr Hatfield, at Abbotsford, on tho 21st inst. Mr Hatfield has now two regular rabbitmen on, and has laid a largo quantity of poison. The daily average is about 12 to 15 each man. Hr Hatfield is also clearing portions of hia land of the scrub which afforded shelter for the rabbits. This will enable him to cope with the difficulty more successfully. On the sections which lie between the Taueru Road and the river, being a portion of the late Mr .Gilligan's estate, the rabbits are very numerous, These sections were, I understand, all disposed of by Mr Gilligan's executors, but owing to some difficulty in giving a title most of the purchasers refused to complete the transactions. It would be advisable to ascertain who are tho parties liable in those cases, so that something may be done towards reducing the rabbits on these sections,

Finding that the rabbits are still numerous on the properties belonging to Messrs J. T. Smith and J. Baurober, I served them on the 24th inat., with the proper notices, under sections 17 and 18 of the Rabbit Act. On the same day I served fresh notices under these sections upon Messrs H. T. Whitcher and J Tuck.

I have been requested by the Sheep Inspector in this district to supply him with a list of the Government land in district which, is infested with rabbits. I shall be glad to receive any instructions the Trustees may aeo fit to give me on this subject, ! Robert Campbell, Insoector. With regard to the request of the Inspector of Sheep (mentioned in the Inspector's report) asking to be informed of any Government land in the district which is infested with rabbits. The Secretary was instructed to write to the Inspector of Sheep, stating that all Government land in the district was more or less infested with rabbits, 'particularly the following:;— Two sections on the Kopuaranga Creek, fronting the main road, and adjoining section 63 on the •Opaki Block; a piece of land called Metapihi, in- the Rangituthau Block; several cleAiings north of section 9, in the same block; and also the islands in the Waingawa

With refoience to certain sections in the lite Jlr Gilhgau's estate, to which the attention of the Ti ustees was drawn in Ihe Inspector's report, the Inspector was instructed to post notices on the several sections, aud acquaint Mr Gilligan'a executors of tho fact. Mr J, Valentine Smith waited on the \

Trustees- witl^eferenpejtd: the Inspector; *"r ;tiofcice, whilst : " iip -notice had been servedv bn-jMr Baum- '.; ber, his tenant .and "immediate:'neighbor. Blp Smith explained that, of fact,,hefheld;a)cdmparativelyjsmall pro- ■: ■' . portion 'of the : ,scrub-land:in? y : hioh the rabbits were numerousi raoßt p£ it being leased. That he; himself had been using poison, and pally with'dogs^ many rabbits were forced on to his land., ; ,'. : Mr Smith expressed "his deiire also to"' .■'■' ' know;what the: " efficient steps." < This elicited from the; Board 'an :i ex--' u u ■'■■' presaion of opinion' that'll; wasi not the duty of: the Trustees to say;j.what are or. are not efficient Bteps, as some-.land-. ■-]■ owners adopted oneway and some another '.ry' ;■' iu dealing with the nuisance, biit'it was . the opinion of the Board that tion of efficient. Bteps.havirig;beeiP taken 1 ' to keep the rabbits under'would .b'e'wheii' I ', :,'. ; a competent man, with' the "usual'ap-;. pliances, could not get, Bay, more,than one rabbit an hour. \.'/'..'V:'' ; ! .'■. ':' ■ .'':.-.'..

After a lengthy discussion, on',the-.',,, question of the Inspectors movements, it',;.. was resolved that after vcompleting; the" -'. poisoning on the islands in the Waingawa ;' he be instructed to make a fresh tour of ' inspection through the district, and aerre notices on all those ocoupiers on whose "■■ properties there are rabbits in 'sufficient ; numbers to cause material damage,. . , The'followihg accounts were'passed 'for payment:— ■■« . ■&'-*■'»«■ Mr Mawley for phosphorus and - rhodium ... ... ... 10' 0 0 Mr Chinchen, stationery ;;. 2.8 0 • H. Bannister, contribution towards poisoning, at Pairau 10 0 The meeting then adjourned till Saturday, 16th October,.at II a.m. ■