THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1524, 1 November 1883, Page 2

THE RABBIT NUISANCE.

Public Meeting at Tinci. The above meeting was h#ld at the Public Hall, Tinui, 011 Saturday last. The attendance though small was influential and fairly representative, several of the larger landowner king present. Mr Mackay, who wis requested to take the chair, said lie had convened the meeting at the requeat of several settlers, to take into consideration the question of forming a company for tho purpose of purchasing and breeding the natural enemies of the rabbit, and also to discuss other points relating to ihe abatement of tho pest. Ho would not detain the meeting by a statement of how serious that pest bad bf£&o,'for he felt all practical settlers wcWftwaro of it, and quite alive to the of taking stringent measures tolsuppress it. He was of opinion tnsiflit was useless contending with it by meanß of men with dogs, rabbits were only spread about the country by thorn ' while great harm resulted to stock from disturbance. Dogs might be useful where rabbits were few, but when in numbers, other, and more comprohen* sive measures were necessary, They must go in for ferrets, wire netting,, and poison, on an extensive scale, and he advocated the formation of a compauy to purchase and breed the natural enemies, He had 110 fault to find with the Inspectors, who he believed conscientiously cwried out their duties and inßtructious. The Aot he thought might need amendment. One clause protected ferrets, while Inspectors might order owners who hid turned natural enemies out, to put on men with dogs, who would at onco destroy them. This would be inconsistent He thought this point should be brought under the notice of the Goveminent, aud that instructions jhould be issued to Inspectors to the effect that if a certain number ■ of ferrets per acre were turned out'on a proporty, tho owner should be exempt from putting on men with dogs. He should like to see wire netting declared a legal fence as between neighbor*, as a means of reducing the rabbit pest, and the spread of scab. It was unfair that one neighbor should bo at all tho cest of such fencing, while perhaps tho owner, who refused to assist in erecting it, was inundating the other with rabbits. He thought tho initial step was to form a committee. He would be glad to hear the views of those present. | Mr R, Maunsell said ho jliould be glad to know what had been effected I by the nse of ferrets in other parts of the colony. Mr Mackay said lie was not prepared with a great deal of information • on that head, but through their agency good work had been dono at Kaikoura, and the pest much lessened on some properties, and in support of this was the evidence of Mr Bullen given before a committee of tho House of Representatives. Mr McHutchon: Is the. country aft Kaikoura similar to this—is it rough 3 Mr Mackay: Yes, the country is quite as rough as any in this district, and is especially adapted for breeding rabbits. Mr E. Clifton: The Kaikoura country is dry and suited for ferrets, while the cold elay land hon is against them. Numbers would die here, Mr R. Maunsell said if rabbits could be kept down by means of ferrets and other natural enemies, it was preferable to'men with dogs, the use of whieh entailed great loss among sheep. Ha agreed with the convenor of the mating as to the utility of wiro nettajg, and that it should be made a llral fence, and also that the first step tojpe taken was to form a committee to-wj-tain from reliable sources the result of \ turning out forrets and tho cost of x breeding them. Mr McHutchon "believed in ppison, Ferrets would not thrive and live on clay land. He was in favor of wiro netting, but thought making it a legal fence should be approached with caution, It would press hard on small I landowners surrounded by large ones ! to have to pay for half the cost of the I fence upon erection, He would suggest that if made a legal f#nce, an adjoining owner who might not be in a position to pay the half cost at once, should be allowed to pay a certain interest on such cost. This would inako it easier for small settlers. Mr Clifton would support the apointment of a Committee to collect information and a public meeting should ho called when the information was to hand. He would propose thkfe a Committeo be appointed to obtain information as to the effect of ferrets snd other natural enemies in redncing the rabbit pest, and upon such information being obtained, the Committee to tail a public meeting and lay the Bame before it. Mr JR. Maunsell having j seconded, the resolution was put and carried unanimously. I The following gentlemen were then appointed a Committee, vix,—Messfß W. H. Beetham, Mackay, T. Langdon, Elder, Clifton, J. Williams, Groves, Handyside, and R. Maunsell, Mr Mackay was requested to notify members of the Committee who were not-present of their appointment, and also fix the date for the first meeting. Notice has since been givefl conyeß* ing the meeting of the Compttee at the Public HaU on November }oth.