JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE RABBIT NUISANCE, 1886.

Bruce Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 1760, 22 June 1886, Page 4

JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE RABBIT NUISANCE, 1886.

. «. INFORMATION DESIRED IN REPLY TO FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. 1. What experience have you had of the rabbit pest ? 2. Wfiat means have you employed for abating the nuisance? Please state them fully ia detail. 3. Have you :used phosphorus 1 if so, with what result? In what proportions have you used it with grain ? Do you prefer oats to wheat ? Do rabbits take poison when feed is plentiful ? 4. Have you tried turning out the natural enemies of rabbits ? If so, name them, and state with what result. 5. Slate, as far as your own knowledge enables you, what percentage of sheep has been lost by the use of poisoned grain. 6. What do you estimate to be the average cost of poisoning per 1,000 acres in your district ? 7. What portion of the cost of killing rabbits is covered by sale of skins at present prices? 8. Do you recommend the introduction of the natural enemies of the rabbit ? and, if so, what animals do you suggest ? 9 Dops " The Rabbit Nuisance Act, I 1882," now in force, work satisfactorily or otherwise ? ■ 10. In what way does it work un- t i satisfactorily ? 11. Has the administration under the Act been efficient 1 12. Have the Inspectors under the I Act performed their duties in your district in an efficient manner? 13. Have you any complaint to make against any of the officers of the department having control over these matters ? If so, state them. I 14. Is there any means of compelling Government to keep unoccupied Crown lands free from rabbits ? 15. Is there any means of compelling the owners or holders of reserves to destroy the rabbits on them ? 16. Can you suggest any improvements in the present Act ? 17. On whom should the onus rest of providing that efficient steps have been taken to destroy the rabbits on any particular property. 18. Do you think Inspectors should be intrusted with tbe powers given them by sections 7 to 11, inclusive, in " The Rabbit Nuisance Act, 1882 ? 19. Would you recommend an increase c? the minimum penalty of £1 provided for in section 9 of the Act? 20. Do you think that repressive legislation would be best administered by the Government, by County Councils or other local bodies, or by Trustees appointed or elected for the purpose ? 21. Can yon suggest any means of abating the nuisance on unoccupied Crown lands and reserves. 22. How would you propose that Native lands should be dealt with ? 23. Should power be given to compel governing bodies to put the Act in force by mandamus or otherwise ? 24. What was the carrying capacity of your district before the rabbits became a nuisance? to what extent was that capacity lessened when the rabbits were most numerous ? and how far has it improved where the rabbits have ceased to be a nuisance 1 25. Has the natural pasture been permanently injured by rabbits? 26. Would you recommend, by way of encouraging the destruction of rabbits, that Grovernment should purchase the skins at a price per skin, or pay a bonus on the shipment of skins? If so, state price or amount of bonus. 27. Would you recommend that auy bonus paid by Government for skins should be confined to certain months in the ypar only (if so, what months) or throughout the year ? 28 Do yon think a bonus should be pud on the skins or heads of all young rabbits found in burrows ? If so, state what bonus. 29 What efforts have the Grovernment made to keep the unoccupied Crown lands and reserves in your district free from rabbits ? How far have these efforts been successful ?

- 30. la there any difficulty in obtaining convictions for breaches of the Act in your district? 31. Would you recommend that Government should assist Crown tenants with short leases (one, two, or three years to run) in keeping down rabbits 1 if so in what manner ? 32. Would it be advisable to give power to payers of sheep-rates in any district at present free from rabbits to form among themselves a trust for the purpose of excludiug rabbits from such district by means of fencing or otherwise, such trust to be managed by Trustees (elected by the payers of sheep-rates) having power to levy an annual rate for the purposes mentioned ; and such district, whilst continuing free from rabbits, to be exempt from the operation of any Rabbit Act for the time being in force ? 33. Have you any suggestion to make with respect to the l-abbit nuisance on points not referred to above ? If so, please state them. N.B. — It is particularly desired that an early reply may be sent to the above questions.