DEER MENACE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 45, 17 November 1936, Page 10

DEER MENACE

Ministerial Reply to Criticism PRESERVING THE BUSH Drastic Action Against All Pests "Dr. G. F. V. Alison, in some remarks at Palmerston North on Saturday, wonders what is behind all the talk on tlie deer menace, and tlie killing of tbe animals in wholesale numbers,” said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. 11. Parry, yesterday. “The reply is that tlie Government views with grave concern the need for the preservation of native bush, tlie safety of the lower country and of farmers’ crops.” The statement to which the Minister referred was made by Dr. Anson at a meeting of the Council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, of which he is chairman. “There is a terrible lot of balderdash talked by some Government officials on the question of deer. It has become a craze — the wonder is what is behind it,” Dr. Anson declared. Hysteria was exhibited by some departments on the subject, and he thought that if there were no jobs going in the destruction of deer, chamois and thar, there would lie less talk about them. . . Certain individuals in the Government were doing their best to create a prejudice against deer in an endeavour to keep their jobs, said another member of the council. “The Department of Internal Affairs makes no apology to anyone for tlie stand it is taking in regard to the deer menace,” said the Minister. “It is all very well for the doctor to make general sweeping statements at a meeting, but if he wishes to pursue tlie matter I would suggest that he peruse the information on the deer menace published in the department’s annual reports for the last few years, and endeavour to refute the statements categorically. The information as to the gravity of the position in these reports is the result of investigations made by the department’s own officers, and the department stands by it.” The Minister said that it was not fitting for Dr. Anson to suggest that officers of the department were talking of the deer, chamois, and thar menace with an eye to cushy jobs. “Anyone witli any knowledge of the privations and conditions connected with the work,” said Mr. Parry, “knows that there are many much more attractive avenues of employment. Tlie field officers and tlie men engaged are entitled to all possible praise in carrying out a work which is of national importance and the Department of Internal Affairs resents the slur which Dr. Anson lias placed on tbe officers who are carrying out a well-defined Government policy. I should think that Dr. Anson would be well advised to view the matter, not purely from the point of view of sport and stalking revenue for an acclimatisation society.

“The menace is too serious a one to be considered on such narrow lines and must be viewed nationally. There have been, of course, reports of utterances by overseas visitors on the present policy of deer, chamois, and thar destruction, and probably Dr, Auson has beeu keyed up by these. The Government is keen to have drastic action taken to rid the country of all pests and deer arc certainly pests which do damage to our native bush, and bird life. It has also declared war on stoats and weasels—two further iiests the depredations of which among our native game birds have been great. We do not want to see stoats and weasels become the menace to our country deer are to-day. No bushlover Or sportsman does either. I regret that Dr. Anson shuld have made the statements attributed to him. The deer menace is a. matter too serious to be trifled with'.”

'The statement to which the Minister replies were reported in a "Dominion” special service message from Palmerston North in yesterday's issue.