REGULATIONS FOR SHOOTING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21117, 19 March 1934, Page 12

REGULATIONS FOR SHOOTING

♦ MINTING OF SPORTSMEN AT i.EESTOX < KITH ISM OF AM.MI MTION I'KICKS A large meeting of iai m. i - and .port.-men interested m the regulations governing the shooting of ducks and other game was held at Leeston on Friday evening. Trie meeting was representative of n large area, some of those present having travelled more than I'o miles. Mi- F. Row. 11. who pre.-ided. said that the meeting had been called to rcgeler a proleM. against a proposal to limit shooting hours to those between sunrise and sunset. It had been reported thai a recommendation to that < tTeel had been sent to the Minister r.'ir Internal Affairs 'the lion. Adam Hamilton* by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, but since the meeting had been called the regulations had been published and no change had been made in the hour.-, The re:trieiieii referred to would have meant the abolition of : hooting ever ponds on I';.nil-; in the detriet. It was known, however that manv members of the council of the Aeclnnat isali..n Si eiety v.vre opposed to pond shooting, and it was advisable to place the views of the farmers before the Minister, in case a recommendation should be made in the tuture regarding a change in shooting

The chairman and Messrs J \\ m-chc-ter. L. C. Lemon. W. O. Renme. j p L. McGregor, G. A. Lassen, and others said that for a good part of' the vear the ducks from Lake K'lesmere obtained the major part of the food, consisting of barley and peas, from the farms in the district, and that large numbers of the birds bred on the farms, where they were afforded ■ rvcrv possible protection. They con-! Mdered that it would be an injustice if farmers were not permitted to shoot ducks on then- own properties during the shooting season. Petition to be Circulated I,'poii the motion of Messrs Hcnnie and McGregor it was decided to circulate for signature a petition selling out the views of farmers and to present it to Mr Hamilton. The support of Mr J. Connolly. M.P., will be sought. The meeting approved the reduction m the length of the season from ihree to two months, and carried a resolution in favour of a close season next vear. Various speakers also expressed a desire to co-operate with the Acclimatisation Society about game conservation, and thought that the society should take the farmers ami shooters generally more fully into its confidence when making recommendations to the Minister. The chairman said that it cost (if per cuit. to land British and 115 per cent, to land American cartridges, yet the latter were being sold by Dominion retailers at the same prices as those charged for ammunition produced m New Zealand. Representations had. he said, been made to the Government and the Tariff C'omnii.sioii, hut there seemed to be some reluctance on the part of the Government to lake any action. Cy tln- high prices, many persons were unable tu do any shooting. the rabbit pest was increasing at an alarming rale, and gun clubs were finding it clifliculi to carry on. Considering- that the one industry in New Zealand manufacturing shotgun ammunition employed only a small number of hands, he did not think that shooters should be so heavily penalised to keep it in existence. It was high time that shooters throughout the country took united action to bring about a reduction in prices.

A resolution was carried unanimously asking the Minister for Customs uhe Rt. Hon. .1. G. Coatesi to take steps to have the duty on British shotgun ammunition removed. Jt was contended that the high exchange, f:eight, and other landing costs should afford sufficient protection to the Dominion industry.