The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1890.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3625, 27 September 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1890.

At election times formerly, it will be remembered, the Sheep Act used to be trotted out as a cruel, persecuting arbitrary measure. Now it is dropped simply because that bad Act with its tyrannical inspectors has fulfilled its mission by eradicating scab, and it is no longer of any use as a scare crow. The Radical politician can still, however,thank Providence that ho has got tho Rabbit Act left as a Btock-m ; trade,'and in his last issue our local contemporary tells us what 1 members like Sir George jGrey, George Fisher,. Soddon. and Moss have to say on tho subject; the old old story .of a" persecuting arbitrary Act and pf oppressive'inspectors. If, however, the now' Rabbit Act proves as successful in }ls operation '«the Sheep Act, the polony will be thankful ' nv adverse opinion o' f% members, Tho plain fact of tho matter is that rabbits in the Wairarapa take more money out of the pockets of the people than the property-tax, and every description of local levy rolled up into one. The loss to the district by rabbits divided amongst householders would probably amount to twenty pounds a year upon every family in the district, It may be said that the loss falls mainly on large landholders, but as this class of settlers spends its

money amongst small landowners, amongst men with no land at all and amongst tradesmen, the loss is virtually distributed over the whole community. The rabbits for years havo been impoverishing tbjs district,

and common sense_ suggests that I they must go. Opinions differ,as tp how they should be suppressed, but gentlemen like Sir George (Jrey pd. Messrs Fisher, Seddon and Moss don't bother their heads much on this point, they do not proposp any practicable alternative scheme for their extermination, they simply elect to harass and hamper those who are in earnest in undertaking the difficult task of! keeping them within bounds. Wo say that rabbits have for years past been keeping towns like Masjerton, Carterton, Greytown

md Fcatherston in' a condition of - ikronic poverty, and that Messrs \ BeethamandßuchananintbeirefMs ■ to suppress them have worked in the beat interests of the working men of these centres, and tlut there is a good deal of bunkum about the opposition which has been raised Bgainst this measure. Sir George (Jrey is perhaps consistent on the rabbit question, as be has always yearned for "unborn millions," but on thfl whole the colony is decidedly better off without them. We do not for one moment say that in the ad' ministration of the Act there have not occurred many instances where individuals have suffered 'injustice by tbe drastic and sometimes indiscriminate administration of the law, but while fully admitting that there has been numerous grievances which have irritated settlers of all classes, we hold that the war against rabbits must be continued, and that the good of the greatest number must be set against the ills of which individuals have had occasion to deplore, If rabbits eat half the income of men like Sir George Grey and Messrs Fisher, Seddon and Moss, we should feel sorry, for the rabbits, if they look the bread and butter out of the mouth of our local contemporary, we should feel still more sorry for them, but because theso gentlemen do not happen to feel the direct bite of the rapacious rodent thej are contented to sbed their brother's blood. We would like ourselves to be able to , take the side of the rabbit lor some of the methods of extermination commonly used are intensely cruel, but the prosperity of the district as a 1 whole demands their suppression, ano realising that they- must go w( contend that it is absurd to placi obstacles in the way of tbeir suppres sion.