ACCLIMATISATION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13410, 30 April 1909, Page 7

ACCLIMATISATION.

SOUTH CANTERBURY SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was held in Timaru yesterday, when 60 members attended. Keen interest was manifested in the proceedings. The president, Mr J. S. Rutherford, ft was able to snow that from, a financial standpoint tho past, year had been very successful, 'as the year had commenced with a credit balance of £40 10s, and closed with a credit of £211. The revenue for the year totalled £552, of which fishing licenses produced £510. The expenditure totalled £390, or £211 less than the 'previous year. The annual report stated that the fishing, taken on the whole, had not been so good as in previous years, this being .attributed by many anglers to the fact that stripping Ojperations are allowed to bo carried on at the Opibi river. A good deal of discussion took place on shags and trout, and a strongly expressed verdict of guilty against the birds tiamed was recorded, not a single speaker offering a word in their defence. On tho contrary, eomo of those who a 2 ear ago defended the abngs, said that in the face of all the evidence they could do so no longer. The meeting decided that as shags were increasing in number and doing a groat deal of harm to the trout, the price to be paid by the South Canterbury Society for their heads should bo raised from Is to Iβ 6d each for black shags, -white breasted shags to be not bought, as they do no harm. A suggestion was made that the eggs of shags should be bought at 2e 6d per dozen, but this was not adopted. Tho following Council was elected:— For the Mackenzie Country: Messrs JS. Rutherford and G. Schlacpfer. For Timaru: Messrs A. C. Pringle, F. PalJiser, C. E. Hassall, P. G. Allen and !P. Fester. For Temuka: Dr. Hayes i and Messrs W. H. Brown, J. Findlay, P. Coira and G. Ward. j Mr Rutherford was re-elected president, and Mr Haseall vice-president.