DUCK SHOOTING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21120, 22 March 1934, Page 8

DUCK SHOOTING

—_♦ UNFOUNDED REPORTS ACTIVITIES OF ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY References were made at last night's meeting oi the council of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society to reports in circulation amongst land owners that the society was recommending to the Department of Internal Affairs serious restrictions on the taking of ducks, particularly on ponds. These reports, it was stated, were quite unfounded. The game committee and the council formulated their recommendations on the subject in December last, and sent them to the department, and since then they had not altered them. The council decided to repudiate the reports referred to. and the chairman of the council (Mr F. Steans) and the chairman of the game committee (Mr C. D. Wheeler) were asked to draw up a letter for publication in tiie newspaper in which the reports were given publicity.

Mr C. D. Wheeler referred to a meeting held at Leeston, at which it was stated that the society had advocated that duck shooting should start at sunrise and stop at sunset. He thought that the society should repudiate any connexion with the report that any such suggestion had been made by the society. The chairman (Mr F. Steans) said that a report oi the meeting was published in a local newspaper, and a copy had been sent to him. At the meeting certain statements were made by persons who should have known better than to have made them. Those statements were made with one object, and that was to disturb the council of the society and that was wrong. (Hear, hear.) He had thought of taking up the matter in the newspaper referred to. but he had decided that it was not necessarv.

H(Torls lo Discredit the Society Sonic things were going on in the Uk'Miit re district that ho, for one, did not loci very proud to have associated with the society. Fortunate 1\ , no member of the present council was interested, but he was \eiv, very sorry to sav that there were men m that district who were taking every opportunity to discredit the council, and it was disto say the least of it. (Hear, hear.) As to repudiating the statements referred to. he said that if the council so desired, it could send an official letter to the newspaper that published the reP i 'i s , anything were done, it should be done by the council. Mi J. Murphy moved that a lettei on the lines suggested be sent to the newspaper. „ Ir , K - Campion seconded, and said that the letter should include the .cut to Wellington by the societv. the motion was agreed to. '