RATS AND RABBITS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 223, 20 September 1935, Page 8

RATS AND RABBITS.

SUPPLY OF POISONS. "LIVE AND LET LIVE." GOVERNMENT LAUGHTER. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Tlie Rabbit Nuisance Amendment Bill, which was read a third time and passed in the House of Representatives today, is a measure of two clauses providing that rabbit boards may purchase and sell goods intended to be used for the destruction of rabbits. On the second reading there was no challenge from the official Opposition, but Mr. A. J. Stall worthy (Independent, Eden) caused a flutter by demanding some explanation of the bill from the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Maemillan. He wished to know whether the bill would be scut to a committee.

"No," said the Minister, amidst laughter from the Government benches. "How Laws are Made." Mr. Stallwortliy: Just so. The Minister will not let the bill go to a t committee for the hearing of evidence, yet Government members do not know what it means. It would be safe to say that not six Government members have read it; still they laugh wlicu another member asks the Minister to explain it before it goes on the Statute Book. That | is how our laws are made. Government Members: Rabbits. Mr. Stallwortliy: Yes, from Riccarton. Other Voices: Rats. Glaring at the Government benches, Mr. Stallwortliy said he would like to be the officer in control of rat poison. He would know what to do with it. Continuing, he asked how far the bill went towards setting up another set of farmer storekeepers to be subsidised eventually by the Government at the expense of townsfolk already in business. "The Minister of Lauds has told the farmers that the Government has given them £14,000,000 a year, largely taken out of the pockets of the townspeople," ho said, "but the people in towns cannot live if they are put out of business." lie desired to know if the bill proposed to put chemists and druggists out of business while farmers' rabbit boards purchased and sold wholesale stocks of poisons and ammunition for the destruction of rabbits. It was understood that the policy of the Government was to raise prices, but apparently only to farmers. Live and let live should be the policy of all. The bill should go to a committee and business people be given a chance to make representations.

Pushed Through Too Quickly. When -the bill was in committee Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central) said the measure was being pushed through too quickly. A number of organisations, such as acclimatisation societies, who had not seen the bill, should have been consulted. Mr. H. M. Campbell (Government, llawke's Bay) suggested flint the power* of inspectors which had been curtailed should be restored, so as to enable them to deal with the rabbit nuisance. Mr. T. D. Burnett (Government, Temuka) urged that local bodies such as county councils' should be authorised to slock poisons. The Minister said that would entail amendment of the Counties Act. Mr. W. 11. Field (Government, Otaki) thought that farmers residing outside rabbit board districts should be given an opportunity to purchase poisons at (he same price as those living in rabbit districts.