L—s.

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598. Are there any of these appointments which you discovered after they were made to be* unsatisfactory ? —None that I know- of. 599. For instance, we have it in evidence that a man was appointed who was formerly a pieman, or a seller of trotters, or something of that kind, and that that appointment was very unsatisfactory ? —I called upon the Inspector in that case for an explanation. I can produce his explanation. White (?) was the agent referred to ; he was employed by Mr. Macdonald. 600. Hon. Captain Fraser.) And his qualifications were that he was a good canvasser?—l do not know anything of his qualifications. 601. Hon. the Chairman.) Did he do his work well ?—The Inspector said he did his work well; the fact that he had been a pieman would not be regarded as an objection, if he did his work well. Hon. Captain Fraser.] But the question is, Does he kill rabbits? 602. lion, the Chairman.) Does he do the work satisfactorily? —The agents have very rarely anything to do with the destruction of rabbits. 602 a. What do they do ?—Each agent is told off by the Inspector to a certain block of country. 603. Will you be good enough to explain to the Committee; they have been called agents and sub-Inspectors; do you use both terms ?—I do not use both terms ; I only recognize one class of officers—the Inspectors, who are responsible for the agents they employ. 604. What do the agents have to do ? —lt is their business to visit each and every place where rabbits are reported to be in considerable number, and to which place they would be sent by the Inspector; after each trip they report to the Inspector the state of the place or places they have visited: it is his duty then to ascertain whether their report is correct; if the report is correct, and proceedings are thought necessary, the Inspector immediately takes proceedings. Without the agent, inspection is useless. It is through the agent that he gets his account of matters in the places visited, and the evidence upon which proceedings are taken. 605. As I understand you, if you had not the agent you must have another man beside the Inspector ?—Yes ; the agent is, if I may so speak, the vehicle on which the Inspector depends for getting his evidence. You must have either agents or a great number of Inspectors to collect the evidence. 606. You have made a recommendation with regard to the Government lands : will you explain to the Committee the position of these unoccupied lands in regard to this question of the rabbit pest: did I understand you to say that, with the exception of some small blocks of bush reserves, they were a great source of danger ? —Speaking of reserves, I think I more pointedly referred to them. 607. Will you explain ?—There are innumerable reserves, especially in Otago, that have been set aside for all sorts of purposes. These reserves are not looked upon by the bodies to which they belong as land for which they are responsible in respect to the obligations under the Act. They shirk the responsibility in every way they can ; in fact, for the purpose they repudiate the ownership ; consequently the whole burthen falls on the department of clearing the rabbits from reserves. Many of these reserves are available for pastoral purposes : they are generally small blocks, and many men would be glad to take them if they were allowed to have them upon an undertaking that no rabbits should be allowed to remain on them. I might mention one block of 3,000 or 4,000 acres :it lies there year after year, and we have to clear it. It is " hundreds," it is commonage, but they do not clear the rabbits off it. We have written to them over and over again on the subject, but they will not take the responsibility. I believe that if let upon an undertaking to keep the rabbits down there are people who would take up a good many of these reserves. I would recommend that where the ownership of blocks of this description is repudiated they should be declared " abandoned lands;" that they should be let for one, two, or three years, as the case might be, to some person or persons who would kjep the rabbits down : when this period of one, two, or three years was up, the lands might be returned to the purpose for which they were set aside. We have at present to know each of these reserves, and the circumstances connected with it; we have to provide men for the purpose of keeping the rabbits down in each; they are an endless source of excuse for the owners of land abutting on them not doing their duty. There is also the case of " hundreds," the land adjoining which has been sold with the condition of grazing cattle upon the " hundred." 608. How would you deal with that ? —I do not know how it can be done ;it is hardly for me to say. There must, I should think, be some special legislation upon it. 609. Then you would throw the responsibility on the bodies in whose hands they are, and compel them to take some steps to keep the rabbits upon the land down ?—Yes. 610. That would require legislation, you say ?—Yes, because it is impossible to obtain a conviction at present. 611. Has the Government expressed any opinion on tho subject?— No. 612. Have you taken every possible precaution ? —Yes. 613. Have the Government communicated with you upon this subject ?—No. 614. Nothing has been done ? —No. 615. The Committee would like to know all the particulars connected with this department ?— I have embodied everything connected with it in my report. If there is anything further, and I can recollect it, I will give the Committee all the information in my power. I think I have dealt with everything. The returns are attached to the report. 616. We have-had it in evidence that poisoned grain and turning out ferrets, or the natural enemies, are the best remedies for keeping rabbits down, but that Using rabbiters and dogs is a false step ?—lt is, undoubtedly : I haVe no doubt whatever on the matter myself: I consider that using dogs is a mistake. 617. Do you consider that the Inspector has power to compel the owner of any property to pursue a certain course in killing rabbits? —I do not; I consider it is the Inspector's duty to see that they are kept down, allowing the owner to adopt whatever means he chooses.