RABBIT PEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 168, 17 July 1924, Page 9

RABBIT PEST.

■ o> ■ - WOT GETTING WORSE. MINISTER'S ASSURANCE. (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A denial that rabbits are increasing in all parts of the Dominion was given by the Hon. W. D. Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, in the House to-day. At the same time he confessed he would like to see a much greater reduction in their numbers. It was doubtful, he said,.whether existing legislation dealing with rabbit boards and handling of the pest .could be dealt with during this session. On the same subject the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Railways) said he regretted that, owing to special conditions attaching to the carriage of bisulphide of carbon (which according to Mr. de la Perrelle was efficacious for the destruction of rabbits), reduced freights could not be granted for this dangerous commodity. Tlie Hon. C. J. Parr, replying to a suggestion that stipendiary magistrates are not consistent in fines inflicted upon farmers for failing to suppress rabbits, said wholesale investigation of magistrate's decisions was in his opinion extremely undesirable. Defendants had a right to appeal if they considered a monetary penalty excessive. The Hon. W. Nosworthy said he was being urged to force the pace at a time when farmers were recovering from a slump and labour was dear. He was - being asked to deal with weeds and rabbits, and to do it all at once. "But," he continued, "I am going to try a policy of putting my foot down, telling my officers, seeing Parliament has given mc power under various Acts in regard to rabbits and noxious weeds, to exercise that power, and see how we get on. Members asked for it, and I must do it." He referred to some of the difficulties such as Wairoa lands, which were leased by Maoris to Europeans -when free of blackberry, and had been handed back to the natives a perfect jungle of blackberry. It would be unfair to the native to order him to remove the blackberry immediately.