“Rabbit Boards Must Not Relax Their Efforts”

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30126, 9 May 1963, Page 21

“Rabbit Boards Must Not Relax Their Efforts”

Th* laat year had been a ••od aac for breeding rabbita, and consequently rabbit bovda not relax their efforts, said the president of the North Canterbury Rabbit Board's Council (Mr R. A. Chaffey) to his report to th* annual meeting at the council.

Mr Chaffey said it was good to see that boards were •birnunded” enough to take on opossum destruction without waiting for a ffeater Government subsidy. Representations for an increased subsidy had been made to the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) and the Prime Minister <Mr Holyoake). No reply had yet been received. The main job, Mr Chaffey said, was to ask the Government to enforce the Rabbit Art for complete rabbit board coverage of all New Zealand.

"N the law is not enforced vary soon it win cause a big set-back to the work of rabbit boards in their endeavour to exterminate the rabbit,” Mr Chaffey said. ‘“The farmers who really know what a menace these pest* are are getting fewer each year. “It appears the rabbits themselves are backing the Mini Mer of Agriculture and causing no action. Lack of complete coverage is a breeder of complacency, which is our worst enemy,” he said. Th* way in which the rabbit board* have reduced the rabbit population down to a low minimum during the last 15 years i* practical proof of what can be done by an organised killer policy. The voluntary work of more than 1000 fanners in achieving this result could be wrecked in quite a short time if the law

is not enforced, ’ Mr Chaffey said.

Officers elected at the meeting were: President. Mr R. A. Chaffey; vice-president, Mr B. A. NicboUs; committee. Messrs G. Harper. M. R. Murchison and R. Rutherford; auditor. Mr R. E. Free; representative on South Island Rabbit Boards’ Association executive, Mr Chaffey; representative on Conciliation Council, Mr P J. Byrne.