"NOTHING TO GAIN"

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 10

"NOTHING TO GAIN"

ACCLIMATISATION ISSUE

FEILDING OPINIONS

(Special to the "Evening Post.") PALMERSTON N, "This Day. There was some determined talk at last evening's meeting of the Feilding Acclimatisation Society on the proposal to bring the Feilding area into that controlled by the Wellington Society. The president, Mr. F. H. Stockwell, said that amalgamation would probably be forced, but before that took place, Feilding should demand a say in the reorganisation of the constitution of the Wellington Society. One of the chief planks in the platform should be the moving of the headquarters to a more central position in "its huge territory." The logical centre was Palmerston North both from the point of view of revenue and as a centre of shooting and fishing localities. In the present state of affairs, Wellington city representatives predominated at every meeting of the council, as the country representatives could not afford the time to attend. INCREASED FEES. "You will notice," said Mr. Stockwell, "that nearly/all the remits presented at the last conference emanated from Wellington city representatives, and all tended towards increasing the licence fees for both shooting and fishing, and thereby making participation in these sports outside "the scope of the working man. In addition to this a suggestion, also from these same city representatives, is to make the fishing licence available only in the' district in which it is issued, the same as shooting is today. The shooting in New Zealand has been.built up and has flourished on the £1 licence and I can see no reason for- an\ increase. It costs no more to raise fish today than it did 30 years ago; in fact less, and the cost of distribution is easier and cheaper. "It appears to me,'? said Mr. Stockwell, "that the object of these Wellington city members is not the conservation of fish but rather the idea of excluding a number of people of moderate means from participation in the sport which they built up.with their loyal support over a great number of years. In regard to shooting much the same may be said." Feilding had nothing to gain by amalgamation. Several speakers supported Mr. Stockwell, expressing strong views opposed to amalgamation with the Wellington Society.