Enthusiasm Urged In Rabbit Control

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30763, 29 May 1965, Page 1

Enthusiasm Urged In Rabbit Control

If there was any slackening in enthusiasm for rabbit destruction in the country, especially in an area such as North Canterbury, the position would soon revert to what it was 10 years ago, Mr R. A. Chaffey, president of the North Canterbury Rabbit Boards’ Association, said at the annual conference of North Canterbury Federated Fanners.

Because it was ideal country for breeding rabbits, North Canterbury would be the first district in New Zealand to suffer if the enthusiasm for rabbit. extermination dwindled at all.

Mr Chaffey asked for the conference's support on the recommendation of the working party of the Agricultural Development Conference concerning the representation on the proposed Agricultural Animal Pests Destruction Council.

In its original recommendation, the working party included six rabbit board members on the 12-man council. The other representatives were drawn from Federated Farmers, the Department of Agriculture, the Forest Ser-

vice, the Counties Association and the Lands and Survey Department. However, the final recommendation of the Agricultural Development Conference changed the representation to include only four—not six—rabbit board representatives. Recently the North Canterbury provincial executive of Federated Farmers carried a remit to the Dominion Council asking the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Tai boys) to adhere to the working party’s original recommendations on the pest destruction council's representations. The Dominion Council of Federated Farmers defeated the remit. At yesterday’s provincial conference, it was decided to give support to Mr Chaffey’* request.