The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY. AUGUST 18, 1889. THE RABBIT PEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3286, 19 August 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY. AUGUST 18, 1889. THE RABBIT PEST.

The numerous prosecutions and convictions under the Babbit H uisancc Act show that the inspectors intend to leave no stone unturned to effect the reduction of the pest in the Wairarapa. Whether the inspectors are over zealous, or that the tines haye been imposed with strict justice, we do not intend, to touch upon, but prefer rather to look into the Acts of 1882 to 1880, and see if they are not defective. It has been and still is tho rule to line property owners who have been lax in their efforts to destroy the pest, at tho end of the \ poisoning season, i.e., at a tiuio when, no matter what fine'is imposed, it is impossible to take the most efficient steps for destruction. The real remedy for'thjs would appear to be to compel BJipltpeous poisoning at such times as in the opinion 'of the chief inspector of' a district is most

desirable. An attempt was made to da |bjs under sectiou i of the Act of 1882, but #1 li.ttio or no benefit, as it ia m this clause (he Act is at fault, for thero is no ponalty for lion compliance; and it would be woll perhaps if the Government amended the section by copying to some extent section 7 of an Act now under the consideration of tlie Victorian Legislature, which provides "That the Governor in Council can by proclamation fix a day on which every owner of malice land should commence tho work of extirpation, and that a penalty not less than £5 nor more than £IOO should be incurred for default." It might not be wise that a given date should be fixed for tbe whole of New Zealand, as climatic iullueiices might make it desirable to commence earlier in some districts than in others, Past Experience tends to.show that it is from lands j;)iai have been neglected in the early winter that tjjg pest has spread and re-stocked adjacent country, and this applies to Crown as weji as ti'pphpld property. A fine of £5 or 41!) impose^'on'if negligent owner say in the month of |tnjp ; _ for not having commenced poisoning, would have a moro benofioial effect, both to tbe individual and bis neighbors, than double the fine in the middle of August, for it would act as

a spur to urge liim to tako steps at a time when the very best rosults would accrue; whereas a fine imposed at the end of the poisoning season is only an irritant of little or no i practical value. It may be argued that a difficulty would arise in : carrying out simultaneous poisoning as it would be impossible to inspect the whole of a district at once. The answer to this is, employ double or treble the number of inspectors for say n couple of months, One of tbo great defects of the present system is that the staff of inspectors, in the Wairarapa at any rate, is quite insufficient to effectually overlook the operations of owners during the poisoning season. Turning again to the action being taken by the Victorian Government, it will be seen that a sum of £150,000 is placed on the estimates to make advances to settlers for the purchase of rabbit proof fencing. Mr Dow, M.L A., hi introducing the question said" the bill asks the House to give farmers wo netting on liberal terms as the rabbit svil had grown to be a national one. The estimated cost was'£lß to £2O a mile. The netting would be supplied through the Shire Councils, and it was expected that selectors would apply in groups rather than singly as thereby a great saving would be effected. Suppose Ave, six or a dozen selectors considered they could by fencing iu their combined holdings protect themselves from rabbits, All they had to do was send in their names and apply for as many miles of wire netting as wou'd be required. The diagram which had been prepared and submitted to members with the Bill represented an actual parish in tho Northern district. Members would see that the fence was supposed to run round a group of 16 selectors averaging about 800 acres each. The total number of acres in the group would be about 4800 acres, and the number of miles of wire netting required .was 12 for the whole group. The whole cost was £312, and tho total that each of the selectors would be liable for was 1 £2O and each man had 10 years in which to pay it," The Commission which sat some time ago in Australia was 'strongly in favor of wire netting. Our own Government have recognised its utility and with the exception of a few theorists all prfctical men aro satisfied that it is I of a very great vnlue in dealing with the rabbit nuisance, and it is a question if it would not be worth the . consideration of tho New Zealand Govomment to follow on the lines of the Victorian Act to assist settlers. Great faith has been expressed in the natural enemy, and it has been most distinctly stated that the pest in South Wairarapa had been almost got uuder by ferrets, stoats and weasels. The recent prosecutions in that district scarcely boar this out, and it would appear that move efficient means are required.