MASTERTON RABBIT DISTRICT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 780, 30 May 1881, Page 2

MASTERTON RABBIT DISTRICT.

A. meeting of tho members of the .above district wns held in the County offices on Saturday. Present—Messrs Stewart' (chairman), Welch, Gundersen, Dagg, and'Campbell. Tho minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The outward correspondence was read and approved of, ' •' ''<..■: COKRESIiONDENOB. Inwards-From Colonial Secretary, notifying appointment of R. D.Dagg, '■ From H. Jones, asking for certificate for dogs.

A telegram from tho secretary to Treasury, asking at what bank and branch the. trustees account is kept. From Castlopoint Trustees, covering resolutions passed'at last meeting. :. . From M. MoLeod, stating what steps be had taken' to ! exterminate rabbjts on I)iB land, and that the pest is' numerous, oh surrounding properties, _ The secretary was instructed to reply to Cashpoint Trustoes, stating that the Masterton Trustees were willing to co-operate with them, and susgested a conference of chairmen to consider the subject of'these resolutions and other" matters connected with the rabbit nuisance question;'to reply to Mr Jj e Leod, stating inspector has received instructions to visit the locality mentioned j„ ]jj 3 letter j tblTrH,'Jones,' stating that as lie does not pay rabbit rates the 1 rustees cannot accede to his.request, from tlie.Wairarana Daily of Wl9s for printing anii advertising was passed for payment. '- ■ :■- The Treasurer reported the balance in •gjktobeL69l2s.id,andcashit|ipd

J-he Inspector's report was read, and on a'scuasion it was resolved that proceedings, ""%. Section 18, of the ! Aot; be'taken "gainst Messrs Baumber, Crippa", and •" a rig. The Inspector was instructed to warn Mr J. Camphell that.uhless immediate stops are taken by him to effectually destroy the rabbits on his land, proceedings v/ill he taken against him.. • The Secretary was instructed to write to College Ti'usteev requesting them to send up poison to.Mr.Wingale.'jn. termsof Inspector's; report, ' ' '" " '• : The Inspoctoi;. .was instructed to servo, notices, under section 18 of the Act, upon owners of land resident in Wellington:' A certificate for two dogs,(rabbiters) was granted to Mr Hector 'Muhro. ' The meeting then adjourned until Saturday, ljth June, at Jl..o'clock'" • > ■ ■' INSPECTOR'S REPQRT,

Mastertpn, .May.2?. - Tlio Chairman Masterfon Rabbit Trustees. _ Snt,—l havo tho honor .to ;report that since the last'meeting of the Board I have inspocfed throughout • the district 'tis 1 ' follows:

On Monday, the 9th instant, I visited the properties.nf Messrs W,L. Dor,sot, Gray,- Muoro,- and-ft MoKenzie/ 'Of these.MH Gray has been laying poison. The others have not poisoned yet,'but jhave been hqnting freely, ... I subsequently visited the properties of Messra J, Bambor and J,-V, Smith,. ,At this time Mr Bambor had'not commenced poisoning. .The poison laid by,Mr;Smith has. been very effective, and !the number of rabbits considerably reduced. On the,l2th I:went over •&'. portion nf the Te Ore Ore .hills owned by natives. •There ! were a number of them out hunting rabbits, and lam told they 'are r 'djit f neatly l everyday, I have been /requested to go up tKere-hext'weflk and'inii some pofeon' for the MaoriesyMd i ; trust ; ln' ; my next report to be ab]e to.state thuif ,the = nurabGr land'iias" rably/eduied. '•''"', : - ''''•''•*'''''''''' V thence I-viaited ( tfre'land occupied by Messrs J, MoKenzie,-D,

Mcfenzie) and E Falloon, Mr J. Mckemiie'cbmrrienced laying poison on the his land, and the" othlS|w|||avY promised to commence '.',> imnfliiatyyl ji \. ■■•■'; went over the tßrppgrtjcSpi vMessrs Jones and Moore, the back part of Mr D>McKelizie'ft At the corner where these three properties join, the rabbits are "tnfflKLßin.ce,, buLunder&tand-jthtrMessrs JonesjiVjil .thefcgronnd,-"'~^~:-^^~-^.-i~^--^ : '/&; ,In accordance with instructions received ' at thalast^meßting^bf, the Board/I cjeedTdjiij ; vi9ifc thb J. college!, reseria 1 -' idjoining! Mr iWingate&i property near Alfredton, I went by way of Tinui, taking advantage of this opporssrv.e.inotice; personally, 6Ti)!Mrf T. Cripps.ih r'dspectv'ofiihia; laiidii'on theL Opaki. With reference to the college" 3s reserve, I have to report that I went over a,considerable pbrtibn'of it witbfMrlWingate. The principal part of this reserve is thick bush.. A piece' of about 200 acres, however, thr^h r jvh;ich r a* fire ha&Mif tly run, is comparatively i op i en. ul On there are a few _ rabbits, ~,W,e only saw one, but there are indications of the preisence of at all fgjyin thatjpcaiily. [Mr Wingate infor'nis ; me.that.hejs willing to lay poison if tho College iTrUstees'fpro- 'J^ 1 -', vide some and delivers it on; the,.ground,"•'• ™™} andlwould suggest that: they should be be communicated with.'bn'the 'subject. There is v iiri 'd'oubt,<4haAn)e'ss| r 'Blep,s are taken to check their increase, this'reserve is' likely .to become, a. great''breeding ground for ra'bbits.' , ' ll ';'' f4 . '"''] 'f*'.','^ Proceeding tl/e'nceTcame" thr'oufh the Alfredtou district. I saw no signs of rabbits till I reached the-properly belonping ~tq Mr J. H. Clapham. I was there both late in the evening and early in the iug," siud isajH wbuld.appeanto 1 tie flie-fartMest po'int'to- 1 which rabbits extend in .this particular directioii,;andrl am of [ opirjion/jt[ ig;iraj l , 'pprtaiit lliat immediate Bteps should be taken to check their progress towards the Aifredtpjudistrictx/jj 0 TOO'-I'-i >i 900 ' The subsequent day I spent in making a thorough iflsp'ec'tion"'of '• th'e v GleW6h'ald estate. I saw.^'ejy rabbitsyon this property, which is fexcelleritlygrassed. The pest is more numerous on the, lower boundary:oKthe i prbperty'jjbut; of jthis has been abundantly poisoned, and I am of opinioirMrfidoftis'doirig'-'hisbest to prevent th.e.encroachmeiit-ofjtherp.fesj',!.. aslwell as to destroy.what .rabbits there are on the property.".' 1 "' ' On my way down ! i;;was ; informed that tho poison laid on Mr Mcjfenpie'a land (previously mentioned) had acted very successfully. t subsequenpyrfisite'd}thfl properties £ff Messrs'A; Mcleod," J. 'Campbell,'R.'K.'" Welch,,;H. Bannister, { McPhee,i Everett;? . and Whitcher. :::With" the •exceotionuof Mr! J. Campbell;; these; have'Jalhbeen using poiaion with!■great ; ' i subc'ess:-' ! Mr Campbell intends co'inmeriting next week,

I yesterday visited; Mr' J; : Welch's land, and the 470 acres part of "the estate of Messrs W. has; been pnisoiiiii'g,..with.' niiich/.success, aucj Mr H. Welch "haa .thoroughly poi' soned the Jfyirau sec't'ifl'n. '' « ' '' ''

I i proceeding from there I went through | the!clearing on Messrs Holmes' property, known as the mill clearing, I did not see any rabbits ja this cleariug, nor ( did fl gee /j' I'aiiyon myjvay thrtough tliis .p'ropert'y; to.U the Fernridge. Messrs Holmes have laid a large quantity, of; ppispu, : and try is now very free froni'thVpest." " I; to-day went .through Mr R, McKeuzie's land on llie'Fernridge,' Tfiereare not jmany rabbits on this laud. with the.'.= ; . exception of that portion nn tire bank pF the | Waingawa, which' Mr Mtm\l' : \i ■( about to poison. I also, visited'im lino'coii, \ pied section bejqngjnj? [p'ili% Tingley. A On this land the- rabbits are and; as far as I anv informed, no steps are being taken by the'owner to destroy them. On the land adjoining, .which is* libelleve; in ; tlie occupation of Mr J, W, Lang, the rabbits are also numerous, 1 and nothing is being done to keep them in check, I also went over a portion of th'e'prbpe'pty 6'wri'ed : ' J; -' by air R, D, Dngg, I did not Bee any rabbits on the part I visited. : , ■■[ I am «lad to be able to report that in every instance of poison having been used which, has come under my notice. the/success which/lias attended tpjpjjo! ,cess of destroying the rab'bjl's lias exceeded greatly the expectations of those who have usedit, and this experiohoe' should be a ( '' ! great encouragoment to every 'landowner to commence poisoning without delay. | Iha've,i<4c,p : '' ; , ? V J'i{ j •■■•' ! James Harvey, jun., i . , | '. •■■■ ; Inspector.