LICENSING BILL’S SECOND READING

Grey River Argus, 30 September 1949, Page 6

LICENSING BILL’S SECOND READING

P.A. WELLINGTON, Sept. 28. At the special licensing polls last March, there was evidence of confusion over the issues involved because of the great proportion of informal votes returned, said Hon. H. G. R. Mason, in the House of Repre* sentatives last night, when moving the second reading of the Licensing Amendment Bill. The Bill now allowed for separate ballot papers for the restoration and Trusts issues and the difficulty would be largely -overcome by that change. Mr. R. M. Algie, (Nat., Remuera), said the Bill walked very cautiously over the slippery surface of a difficult subject. The individual clauses were satisfactory as far as they went. He was glad provision was being made to meet the request of the Returned Services’ Association. The Bill went far enough to satisfy fully the New Zealand Alliance. The Bill was read the second time. RABBIT NUISANCE. Hon. E. L. Cullen moved the second ’’eading of the Rabbit Nuisance Amendment Bill. He said past experience had shown that high prices for rabbit carcases and skins sometimes meant that rabbits were farmed. There had been instances of rabbit destruction in some districts being limited to a certain number of rabbits per day, and if those policies were pursued the cost of rabbit control must increase. It. was better to grow an additional carcase of beef or lamb than more carcases of rabbit.

Mr. W. A. Bodkin, (Nat., Central Otago), said that if the Minister imagined he was anywhere near to solving the rabbit problem in New Zealand he would be sadly disillusioned. If the Government would spend, on a subsidy, during the breeding season the same amount of money as it was spending on other systems of control, it would achieve better results.

Mr. R. Walls (Govt., North Dunedin), said that payment by results had been tried for years, and failed to eradicate rabbits. The Boards now operating were concentrating on the destruction of rabbits in their burrows and were getting rid of them by the thousands. The Bill was read the second time.