ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1584, 8 April 1887, Page 5

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

THE EFFECTS OF RABBITS.. (TO THE EDITOR OF THE LAKE WAKATIT MAIL.) Sir,—lt'is evident that the rabbit pest is ver; destructive in this part of the country—the climat being wholesome, with an abundance of water am food. The rabbit is also protected by mountaineou | country and by a shingly and loamy soil, and it has I therefore, every facility for rapidly increasing am 111I 11 j multiplying. Being thus favored by Nature it hidi ! defiance to all 'ngeniors devices to exterminate ci 't> ' even substantially to subdue it. Trapping, | ferreting, or even poisoning on the (.resent method, °" have proved equally inadequate to bring aliout tin | desired effect, and the injury done the runholdetf •® and farmers is something enormous. In out mountainous pacta, where runs were only a few jears aco of gieat value, and the squatter lived in n costly house and lioim stead—sfiencfiiig fortunes in * ; fencing and f.ereial improvement?, employing ji i staff of shepherds, laboureis and other servants, | thvir flocks and herds increasing, and growing wiili 16 | great wea'th—he has had to surrender afier years of hard stru-.'tling to tliis small invader, whi< li was * | found too formidable a foe to cope wi.!h. Thus the iC once wealthy ?quatters were compelled to thiow tip ie their runs. a!mnd(>n their comfortable and costly I homesteads, and seil almost at any price the starved, e miserable sheep and cattle (such «s were !efi), ami j then were often unable to pay their debts with : twenty shillings iu the £—themselves being homeless ! and penniless. i Instead of runs contributing to the general 0 ' revenue, matters are now reversed, and that which I was once a most valuable source of wealth lias bej come a source of great trouble and expense to the '• | Government. The farmers who cultivated our once ] fertile valleys and plains are also severely hain|>ered • | by the pest, and are consequently reduced to a state iof bankruptcy. Their lauds, which were of pood * j quality and value oniy a few years ago, at from £lO j to £l2 per acre, can scarcely be sold at £3, and ; iufeiior land cannot be sold at any juice. The I terror, moreover, of Iteing continually subject to lie 1 fined umler the stiingent Rabbit Act has brought • j the commercial aspect to its lowest ebb. Having I given the subject which is in rralitya very serious I one, earnest consideration. I am prepared to ; respectfully by before you my suggestions, I dative • [ t'» effecting a remedy for this and the kea pest, and ' j tin so are as follows : 1. That the Government suspend the Rabbit Act ami all amendments thereof. 2. That the Government take in hand entirely the 1 poisoning of infested districts. ' 3. That all land ami runholders be charged ' a rabbit tax per acre (say, from one to two pence), ami that this tax lie collected simultaneously by the

County officer, together with county rates. > 4. That ail extensive stuff" of men be employed (unemployed (if cities and others) at a sm.ill wage, 1 say, three shilling* per diem, ami that each individual shall own all the raM>it skins lie enn collect. 5. That the Government Imy the rabbit skins nt market value, and wive for the first clearing of the ground a l/mns of one half-jenny per skin, and that 1 the bonus to incense as the rabbits ("ecrtase. 0. That the Government provide poisoned grain gratis. 7. That the Government provide canvas tents sufficiently larjje to house two men and their equipments; also provide pack horses, and pack saddles if necessary. 8. That the Government erect moveable canvas stores in central positions for supplying th« men with poknued train, provisions, etc., if possible, and purchase the skins. 9. Ilmt the Government procure in ns large quantities as jKissiblc feirets or other natural • nemies, soch as weasels, mongoose, etc., and sernl th' i:i to tlic a:»risaid moveable store for distribution. 10. That only nliible oliitf, ordinary and sub-:iisr.; frs app'iiitid ;.t respectable salaries. 11. That the poisoning begin on say the fiiat of April i r thereabout*, and the starting points be tli<i in ; rest M<uth< rn se ashore, anil operate from one natural boundary (rivei) to the ciher, ami \v)>en arrived at a certai.i junction oi a lie.-idrd-upoii p lint inl®tid, that a tl ree feet wid'. clo«e worked wire net'i.ig l»e ila.ed across, and men stationed to kiep the fem-e in j ■nd irder. I'.'. That pioirei-s l»e th»*ii inadevi'i, an adjoining section Mi tne manner as described b.:l'>ri\ I'J I hat a sfi-ond clearing »kj m ule up"ii all Inn-in :n the month of Septcrnbf r—or when 'lie lin U'ltain tf>;»M are m-aily free from miow a;id 'in! a Imiius cf «'i c pc oiy and a ll dt be jjiven, i r more, il recommended I v the 'iis[*-ef<>r, for t!iC t>k;ns got on 'be second time cleaned ground. 14 That, for the destruction of kea«, men bp supplied with p- Icy, say, 7ft. lone, a,id l« vs l'2in. s |iinre by On. deep, :.iid re .dir'-d fat w. It mixed with strv< |inir<. Tiie pol»*t to b« se< nrrlvlixed at places win re kea abound". and the b"Xe* well secured .;t the top of til" p<l-s, the poiso I fat beinir placed therc.ii in a hot li<|md sta'»\ The side* of the bote* to be provided wi'li Mnall holes, | so as to enable storm water :o flow otf. A bonus of 0 I |>er k«a h»-ad to be ;iven. 15. That all surrendered runs being thus twi e cleared i f raijb.U and keas be ol'erul for public competition. 10 Tlrit the mi brd.'tied anil many directly interested ami influential jiersons are of opinion that the aforesaid suggestions, if adopted and cariied <iiit, will prove a boon to the country, and will certainly lie direct and indirectly reproductive, as lands of all kinds will become valuable again ami stocked. Then the rabbit tax will cease. The production of wool, tallow, hides, the cxp.nt of frozen and tinned meats, and the employment of labor, the extra consumption by a larger imputation of provisions, clothing, books, etc., ami a geneial | development of trade and commerce will increase I the general revenue, thus recouping the deficiency, I if »nv. Hoping that alwc suggestions and remarks 1 receive due consideration, I ain, etc., JI'LII\S We.xkiieim. Queenstown. March 29, ISB7.