The Rabbit Pest.

Cromwell Argus, 6 March 1905, Page 4

The Rabbit Pest.

The settlers of NoW ~Z<yhw\ Unvo cause to be thankful for ■.•# change in the law relating lo the -?i%ening down of the ever-present rabZ.it pest, inasmuch as they can now bring evidence to rebut the statements of the inspectors to the eii'ect that they are not doing anything to keep down the pest. A settler. Mr Harding, whose holdingis about 600 acres, was brought before the Court for failing to keep down the rabbits on his ground. The usual official evidence was tendered, but the defendant and his solicitor brought proved evidence and arguments to prove that sufficient steps had been taken. It was proved that between April and December 6,770 rabbits had been taken off the block, and for the * period from 19th December to date, specially complained about in the information, no less than 3,207 had been killed, or over 300 a week. If a man has less than a square mile of ground and kills that number of rabbits per per week he cannot be said to be neglecting the vermin. Yet he is dragged to Court and put to a lot of expense and wastes a lot of valuable time because the Inspector thinks he is doing nothing. There is no doubt in our mind but that the Rabbit Department is the greatest bar to small settlement in this district. "We know of one section that has been advertised for sale several times without finding a purchaser. A gentleman informed us that he would take the land at once only that, if he did so, the Rabbit Department would be down on him and worry the life out of him, before he could get it fenced or run a hoof of stock upon it. The department is quite necessary and has important functions to perform, but should carry them out with some judiciousness, and should treat all landowners on the principle that •' All rabbits look alike to me." If such were the case, we would not have the spectacle of a farmer brought before the court during his busy season on a charge of failing to do what he can triumphantly prove that he has done. Such a fiasco should, however, be a lesson to the department to look before it leaps.