THE RABBIT ADVANCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1219, 3 June 1919, Page 5

THE RABBIT ADVANCE.

KING COUNTRY AFFECTED. LEGJSLAT K>N SUGGFSTED. The seriousness of the invasions of rabbits into the northern end of the King Country w;>s discussed at the last meeting of the Te Kuiti branch of the New Zealand Fanners' Union. A letter was received from the Maihiiht branch inviting support to proposed amendments of the Rabbit Act, 1908, and asking the Te Kuiti branch to approach the Minister for Agriculture and the Auckland Executive on the matter. Mr J. A. Young, M.P., held a meeting in Otorohanga, and explained the amendment to the Act, but the farmers had found, and Mr Young agreed, that those amendments were practically useless without the further amend* rnents passed at the Otorohanga meeting. It was also suggested that leal bodies be given power to form themselves into Rabbit Boards with power to borrow money under the Loans Act to supply settlers with wire netting, and rating them for interest and sinking fund on the actual cost of the netting. It was not proposed to make the creation of the Rabbit Boards compulsory, but only at the settlers' option, and concerning only such land as was infested with rabbits. Rabbit-proof fences, it was proposed, should be declared legal fences in infected areas, and that the boards be given power to determine where such fences were necessary; and that the Boards should have power to levy rates up to 3d in fhe £, such rate not to exceed is per acre. Members present expressed themselves in hearty agreement with the proposals, which were unanimously approved.