SMALL BIRD NUISANCE

Dunstan Times, Issue 2093, 3 September 1901, Page 4

SMALL BIRD NUISANCE

In reply to a question by Mr E. G. Allen as to whether anything had been done towards giving effect to the promises of the previous Minister of Agriculture—the lite Sir John M'Kenzie— to make experiments so as to discover the most effective means of destroying the small birds, Mr Duncan said it was perfectly well known that poisoning would effectually deal with these birds, but the trouble was that farmers always neglected the opportunity at the proper season of th£"yeftr. Gene-ally in the winter time, when feed was scarce, the birds would take poison greedily, and the nuisance could then easily be dealt with. But then the bi; ds were not doing any harm; and the farmers forgot about their troubles, and the birds were not molested. One 'man would take the trouble to poison, but two or thre of t.is neighbours would not. He was quite satisfied that if we had a compulsory clause in the Bill, and if strychnine was used in the way he had seen it used, there would not be much, difficulty in keeping these birds within bounds. We should never get rid of them—they were like the rabbits— they would always be with us ; but he thought at the same time, that they could be educed to such a state that their effect would scarcely be fe t. He intended to introduce the Bill again, and, if possible, get it carried.