SHOOTING DEER

Evening Star, Issue 19026, 22 August 1925, Page 2

SHOOTING DEER

AH OPEN SEASON

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, August 21

Members of the House showed hearty appreciation of the decision announced by tho Minister of Internal Affairs today that a complete open season for tho destruction of deer will bo declared.

Sir George Hunter, in moving a vote under the Internal Affairs Department of £I,OOO for tho destruction of deer, expressed satisfaction that it had been doubled. He hoped the Minister would see that there was more activity in encouraging the destruction of deer, tho worst pest of the country. They destroyed, the bush, and did no end of damage to farmers’ fences. The Hon. R. F. Bollard remarked that only half the grant of £I,OOO for the destruction of deer was spent last year, but he was pleased to be able to inform members that protection would this year be taken off the deer through the whole of New Zealand. Members: Hear, hoar.

The Minister added that the only exception would be a district in the South Island where licenses had been issued. Mr Parry: A general slaughter. Members; Win it be open all the year round? The Minister: Yes. , r .

Members (heartily): Hear, hear. The Hon. I). Buddo expressed the hope that acclimatisation societies would not run away with the Minister in their anxiety to preserve the opossum. “ We have landed no end of curses into this country, and the Minister has a very important duty to see that he stops people from introducing animals which might be quite harmless in their own country but become bad pests in New Zealand.”