RABBIT BOARDS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18194, 3 October 1924, Page 14

RABBIT BOARDS.

♦ HURUNO. " A ?p«ds! meeting ot the HBTUKI : Rabbi-- Board of held at j C~iverier,. PnM^nt —Messrs 1. LI Roi>;r_soTL 'in tie caaxr . G. <_». | erford. W. U\ Mcßac- ? W. J. McMil- ' kz. H. I. Lr-tie. and J- M'i—o. Mr N". D. Campbell was m attendance. r~p cb-"i:m:;in that- as ; —attars liiixi cropped 70 since [ Iqs' ]zsi meeting retrains -?*. «>m- • fencing scheme, acd. tnat s • had t-eer. presented to tiie | M : V.:sier of Agrif-it'sre. he r«jnested I -: to nsixi the minutes or I 1%; or AticciSt, -J3rd and Sep- ! 6th last, and these were ccr.- '• :":rrr.e'l. . , ... i The r-:-tXLrv tc-er. reatl the petition. I his ' Excellcncr Visctmnt. Jeilicoe. 1 G-jverror-General of Ne~ Zealand. ; i Y-"- T>etitiouers are ratepayers in i ! -r* H-i-:r.-ai Rabbit Distnc;- conststcti ed -:r.cf-r the Rabbit Nnisance Act, i 150;. and iti Amendments. ! The di-;tri'-*t under control of the ! Board extends from the Wajpara river j i r>n the ?o-ith to the Hanr&er Plains, on j ;r.-- r.orxh, an.d includes lands from ; 'J he Peaks. Medbsrr. on the west, v, j j th 1 * cce£,n on the esst, ' ' The B<oard consists or f.ve elected j tembers and the Minister's nominee. ! Th° elected members "trill retire the hr3t- week ir. November nest, and be subjet-t to re-election. Yo-ir are informed and believe that a proposal has been <x>niidered by the Beard for the erection o: a rabbit entend'jnp; from the i ;.-?a to the Waipara Hotel, and then i foilowina; a course -;r> the Omihi \al3ev to the Huninr.i nver, and back to I the coast line, and on the casting vote : the chairman it has -b«en decided 1 to proceed with the work, i Your petitioners are of opinion that i the proposed work is not of general j benefit to the district, and will involve ! an expenditure of approximately I £50.000. and should net be proceeded ■ with until the_ ratepayers have had an I opportunity of expressing an opinion i on the subject. { Your petitioners are of opinion ! that a large majority of the stcckownj ors in the said district are adverse to j the proposed erection of the fence bv ' the Rabbit Board. On three oceaj -ions deputations of those opposed to I the 'viid proposal have waited on the i Board and laid their views before it, : bui, the Board has ignored ail those de- : nutations and has given no reply to any of them. Wherefore your petitioners humbly prav: That the Humnui Rabbit District constituted under the Rabbit Nr.isance Act. 1908. be abolished by virtue of the powers contained in Section 33 thereof. That a new district 'be constituted with a new Board to give effect to the wishes of the stockowmers. For snch further and other relief as to his Excellency may seem fit. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Mcßae and Little, that a copy or the petition be published in the local newspapers with the Board' 3 answers thereunder. It was resolved tha.t Clause 4 of the petition waa a grossly incorrect statement —that the proposed fencing scheme was carried on the casting vote of the chairman—and contrary to fact, as the record of the Board's minutes disclosed. With regard to Clause 0, it was resolved. on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr Mcßae, that the Board's estimated price of the 25 miles of fence mentioned in Clause 4 of the petition was £216 a mile, including the necessary gates and'the caretaker's cottage. Mr 'McMillan recorded his rote against the resolution. The secretary reported that he had not yet received from the Minister of Agriculture the letter that Dr. Reakes intimated on Jnlv 31st last would be sent by the Minister confirming the suggestion that the Board give effect to its previous intention so far as its finance would permit by making an immediate start on the fence in the south-eastern portion of the. district, with the intention of adding to it year by year as funds were available for the purpose. The Trustees then went into committee to consider the reply to tho Minister of Agriculture. The following motion, proposed by the ehairman, and seconded by - Mr Little, was carried unanimously:— "That in consideration of the very strong opposition to the Board's proposed fencing scheme, which has ken misrepresented in a petition by the ratepayers, and for want of Government support, the Trustees have decided to hold all work in abeyance until after the election on November 3rd next, and the Trustees suggest that a Commission be set up (bv the Government to go into the whole matter. ' It was unanimously resolved, on the motion of Messrs Rutherford and Little, to ask that a Commission be .appointed by the Government to consider the master of the control of< rabbitskins with a view to preventing rabbit farming. BANKS PENINSULA. A nveeting of the Banks Peninsula Rabbit Board was held ' on ."Wednesday., Present; Messrs H. T. Chapman (chairman). F. R. H. Gar-1 diner, J. Parkinson, W. Menzies, J. O. j Coop, J. C. C. Gebbie, H. A. Nutt, and j Inspector Henderson, of the Agricultural Department. Correspondence was read to Mr John Parkinson expressing the Beard's regret at his illness which prevented him attending meetings regularly to Mr H. T. Chapman conveying the Board's sincere sympathy on the death of his wife; to "Messrs Meares, Williams ajid Holmes giving instructions to take action for outstanding rates. Correspondence was received from Messrs Duncan Cotterill and Co. stating that Gebbie's paddock ■was only used for sheen; from Messrs Briscoe and Co. advising the shipment of the netting by the Remuera; from the inspector stating he iv« 3 unable to procure the springs for the rabbit gate. The secretary said he had got the springs made and Mr Nutt 6aid the springs and the rubber had been fitted to the gate and were a success. Rates paid during the month amounted to £SO 13s 3d. Messrs Nutt and Coop were dep<uted to arrange for the delivery of the wire netting on its arrival. The September reports of Inspectors Radford ?.nd Hoskin were read and commented upon. . The matter of inspections was brought up, as it appeared the Board's instructions were not always followed, inspections being made without the necessary notice being sent and the inspector not acquainting, the ratepayer of hi 3 visit. The discussion resulted in a motion by Messrs Menzies and Coop being passed : "That the postcard advice have printed on it the date of the inspection and •vrho accompames the inspector and to l/o signed by the ratepayer with instructions to tho ratepayer to retain the postcard for reference " Mr Parkinson mentioned it would be his last appearance on the Board as he was not seeking re-election, 'his health not permitting him to give the desired attention to the Board's affairs which he wished to do. He heartily thanked the members of the Board for the suppart and consideration granted him during his three terms of service. On Mr Coop's motion a hearty vote of thanks wis accorded to Mr Parkinson for his association on tho Board. Mr Nntt also took the opportunity of expressing his appreciation of tho manner in which the members had worked together in the ratepayers' interests. He would like to see it '» corded that the Board acknowledge the

services of nil its offical3, including the Agricultural Department's representative, and be -would move in that direction. Mr Gardiner, in seconding the motion, considered their performance of their duties should be appreciated. The motion was carried. • Mr Menzies thanked the members, on behalf of Mr Coop and himself for their reception of them pa new members of the Board. Mr Chapman said he desired to express his thimks to the members for the support that had been accorded him during "his chairmanship. Inspector Henderson and the secretary acknowledged the vote of appreciation on behalf of the officials.