SHOOTING DEER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 August 1925, Page 5

SHOOTING DEER.

AN OPEN SEASON. THE HOUSE APPROVES. FROM OUR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER. WELLINGTON, Aug. 21. Members of the House .showed hearty appreciation of the decision by the Minister for Internal Affairs to-day that a complete open season tor the destruction of deer will be declared. Sir Gteo. Hunter, noting a vote under the Internal Affairs Department of £IOOO for the destruction of deer, expressed l satisfaction that it had been doubled. He hoped the Minister would see that there was more activity in encouraging tli e destruction ol : deer, the worst pest in the country, as they destroyed the bush and did no end of damage to farmers’ fences.

The Hon. Mr. Bollard remarked that only half the grant of £IOOO for the destruction of deier bvas spent last ear, but he was pleased to be able to inform members that protection would this year be taken off deer throughout the whole of New Zealand. (Members: Hear, hear.) The Minister added that the only exception would be a district in the South IsLand whe.e licenses had been issued.

Mr. Parry: “General slaughter.” Members: “Will it b e open all the year round?”

The Minister: “Yes.” Members (heartily): “Hear, hear.” The Hon. Mr. Buddo expressed the hope that acclimatisation societies would not nin away with the Minister in their anxiety to preserve the opposum. “We have landed' no end of curses into this country, and the Minister has a very important duty to se e that he stops people from introlucing animals which, although they might lie quite harmless in their own ■onntry, became bad pests in New Zealand.”