The Rabbit Pest.

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2645, 20 October 1919, Page 5

The Rabbit Pest.

I..OCAr. prosecution. SUBSTANTIAL FINE INFLICTED. In the Magistrates Court at Cromwell, on Thursday, the Stock Department brought an action against the om ner of Mount Pisa station for failing to destroy rabbits on tbe property- Mr W. B. Manning, fields inspector, conducted tbe ease tor tbe prosecution, and defendant was represented by Mr A. M. Brodiiek, who formally entered a plea of not guilty. In opening for the prosecution, Mr Manning said it Mas an exceptionally bad case. The run comprised 117,000 acres, pastoral country and Crown land, the lease of which expires in 1021, when it was to be subdivided for returned soldiers. Hie owner had held the run for twelve years. Repealed warnings had been issued by the Department’s inspectors, but so far they had not been able to get anything done. F. H. Taplin, inspector at Pembroke, said 120,000 acres of the urea Mere badly infested with rabbits. He remembered a conversation with Mr Paterson on 23rd May last when lie told Paterson the Act would be enforced. He (witness) expected a thorough spring poisoning. Mr Paterson said his hands M*ere lied and referred to an agreement M*ith Mr R. 8. Black to destroy rabbits on the property until the end of the lease. Witness served notices on the owner in September, 1918, and in March, 1919, but despite this the rabbits Mere steadily increasing. He made sei czul inspections of the propeity this y’ear, and found the country badly infested. He considered it would take fifty men to poison the area efficiently, and about thirteen tons of poison would be required. He served notice on 28th August and alloM-ed one month for the necessary work to be undertaken, but m a final inspection found this had not been complied with, and the work necessary had not been commenced. There were little traces of work anywhere. Stock were very low in condition, and a good many were dying, due to the place being eaten out with rabbits. To Mr Brodrick.— It had been a fairly severe season and might have a fleeted stock a little, hut if there had been sufficient feed the stock Mould hot have died line they did. He did not tell Mr Paterson personally M*hat M*as required, but M as present when Mr Manning, senior officer, explained their requirements. He informed Mrs Nicholls, the lessee, that there Mere not sufficient men on the property. He only had one telephone communication with Mr Black, but did not recognise him in the matter. Ke-ex.nnined by Mr Manning.—He bad not seen as many dead sheep on other properties, and never sum* any’ as low in condition. He left it to his senior officer to explain wlmt was required, and Mr Paterson accepted this as coming (rum him (witness.) To Mr Brodrick. —He had told Mr Paterson the work must be done to the fiat isf act ion of the inspector. W B. Manning, fields inspector, detailed his various inspections ot the property, and his interviews with Mr Paterson, wherein he pointed out the necessity of a thorough spring poisoning. Mr Paterson’s reply M*as that his hands were tied, as the owner had given Mr Black the sole right to rabbit the property until the expiry of the present lease. Mr Black had relieved the lessee of all expense. During his inspections he found approximately 120,000 acres badly infested Mith rabbits, and practically no steps taken for their destruction. Where the country was supposed to be poisoned he found very few dead rabbits, and never saw anyone at work. In conversation with Mr Paterson, he said that rabbits had practically possession ot twoIhirds of the run. He (witness) informed Mr Paterson that a final inspection Mould he made tou'ards t he end of September, and’ if the notice Mas not being complied with, and about fifty men employed, a prosecution Mould follow without further notice. He understood Mr Paterson would inform the owner what he had been told, and that the department was determined to enforce the Act. Mr Paterson, also stated he would guarantee to get the required men in two weeks. Mr Paterson also said he Mould guarantee that at the expiry of the lease there would not be one rabbit M*here there Mere twenty-five hum*. Witness replied he would take good care there was not one for every hundred. Witness proceeded to detail his final inspection of the property, and found rabbits increasing, and the notice not complied with. In his opinion it would take fifty men. mid twelve to I if teen tons of poison, to curry out the required work. He found the sheep in very low condition, and a large area of the iuu practically eaten out by rabbits. He quoted figures to show -the carrying capacity had decreased from 32,439 sheep in 191(5, to 2(5,51(5 in 1919, due in his opinion to the number of rabbits on the property. This was practically the pevipd the rabbiting of the run had been let to Mr Black. To Mr Brodrick, witness said there had been odd cold snaps during spring, but the weather was not bad enough to leave the sheep the way they were. He had spent five to six days inspecting the run. It was utter nonsense to say there was a scat city of rabbiters. In his official capacity men were continually applying to him. If the responsible parties cared to pay rabbiters they could get them. In opening for the defence, Mr Brodrick relied to a great extent on the fact that Mr Taplin, the inspector, had not personally acquainted Mr Paterson, the manager of the run, with what lie required. Mr Taplin had never specifically pointed out what should be done, or what he considered necessary, and Mr Paterson did not know’ w’hat he was required to do. In his opinion, therefor, there was no ease to answer. G. S. Paterson, in his evidence, admitted the conversation with Mr Manning and the statements made in connection therewith. When he got the notice he went to Black’s manager and told him what was expected. The place was overrun with rabbits. He interviewed Mr Black in Dunedin and told him n prosecution would follow if the men were not put on. Mr Black came up on Ist October and interviewed the men, and offered/7 per hundred for October skins, £4 Ids for November skins, and, as far as he knew, £2 10s for December skins. He told Mr Black extra men Mere wanted and the number was made up to 39 —at least that number were to be put on. There was usually from twenty to twenty-five men working continuously on the run from the time he Look over the position of manager. The sheep were in a lom* condition, but it was a bad spring, yet lie admitted rabbits bad something to do with it. It Mas the worst spring he had known for seven years. To Mr Manning witness admitted that he understood the run w as to he poisoned thoroughly and that was Mr Taplin’s opinion. The owner knew this as well. He could pot swear to the number of men that were on the run. jle did not knoM* how much poison had been laid. It would take fifty men from six weeks to two months to effectively poison the run, and eight tons or more of poison would be required. He remembered the conversation with Mr Taplin, and later saw Mr Bretherton, Blacks agent, who said lie would do his best. There may have been loss men on in September than qi August, Jle expected this prosecution and was not taken by surprise. A number of the sheep dying had been brought .Soutlilund on to the run. The sheep bred on the run were not dying. He thought it was in 191(5 Mr Black’s agreement started, and since then the cany ing capacity had ennie down, Hubert Brelherton, agent for Black, gave evidence, and admitted being spoken to by Mr Paterson. He advised his employer, the result was that extra men were put

on and there were from 37 to 38 men on the run at present, lie did the best ho aould to full in with the requirements stated to him, but the rabbits would not. take the poison. From July to the end of September the rabbits would not lake the poison, and they had no success in poisoning this year. It was the worse season he had known. Just on three tons of Government poison had been laid, and bcyjnd this the^ had made a good deal of their own poison. The number of skins taken off was slightly more than the previous year. He considered the number of men employed was sufficient if the rabbits had taken the poison. It had been a late spring and bad fur stock. He would not say it had been any’ worse than former years. Alter a short cross-examination by Mr Manning, tbe Magistrate, Mr Mosley, summed up. He gave his decision on the lines that it was the duty* of the manager to see that the required steps were taken to suppress the rabbits on the run. He was satisfied from the evidence for the prosecution. and also from Mr I’alersou. who gave honest evidence, that reasonable steps had not been taken to keep the pest in cheek. He was certainly of opinion that much more should have been done, and lie Mould convict and impose a substantial penalty. Defendant would be fined £4O, with costs.