RABBIT NUISANCE at KAIKOURA.

Marlborough Express, Volume VIII, Issue 501, 21 May 1873, Page 3

RABBIT NUISANCE at KAIKOURA.

PUBLIC MEETING.

In accordance with the following notice, a meeting was held at the Caledonian Hotel, Kaikoura, on the 10th instant, when Mr W. Smith was voted to take the chair : — " r " The undersigned invite their fellow-settlers to meet them at Messrs Clemetfc and Turner's Assembly Room on Saturday next, (10th insfc.), at two o'clock, p.m., to devise means to check the increase of the Rabbits, and to consider the best way to obtain Government aid m doing so. That the Rabbits have already become a serious pest must be notorious to the most apathetic, and ii steps be not immediately taken to suppress them, iv course of years the whole district, and eventually the whole Province, will become a gigantic Rabbit Warren, m fact ifc is impossible to say what barrier will resist their encroachments, except the sea. To avert this evil is the object the conveners of the

meeting have m view, and if the total extirpation of the Rabbits cannot be effected, it is hoped that the combined action of the settlers, assisted by the Government, may at least keep them under sufficiently to render the nuisance other than serious to the district, and prevent them from spreading to other portions of the country.— (Signed) F. andG. F. Bullen, William Smith, Walter Hailes, "senior. — Kaikoura, May 7, 1873." ' * After reading the above notice convening the meeting, the Chairman briefly stated the necessity for the settlers to take immediate steps to stem the Rabbit Nuisance, which had been ovei-looked far too long, and which, if still neglected, will ultimately be the ruin of this district, and almost certainly be communicated to the adjoining districts. The haste with which the meeting had been called, on the presumption that the Provincial Council would meet on the 12th instant, had prevented a portion of the settlers from getting the notice m time, which catTsed the attendance to be less numerous than was expected, and for the same reason those attendingftwere not prepared with any definite scheme. After a rather lengthy discussion, Mr Trimble proposed, and Mr Haggar seconded — - ""That the meeting nominate a committee to investigate the Rabbit Nuisance, and take the riecessary steps to effect the object of the meeting." It was also proposed by Dr Fletcher — " That m the opinion of. this meeting all pro fits arising frotn the sale of skins, over and above the cost of catching the animals, should be devoted to the cause, and expended m killing rabbits when the skins were out of season." The meeting thought it^ would be difficult to carry out such a proposition fairly, as those who incurred the risk ought to have something for doing so, and if it was fair to take away the profits, when any accrued, it would be also fair to reimburse them when the balance was on the wrong side, the skin market being very fluctuating. Not being seconded, the motion' | lapsed, . ' further discussion, an amendment to Mr Trimble's motion was proposed by Mr Bullen, and seconded by Mr Stace — " That the Provincial Government be memorialised to bring a measure before the Provincial gpouncil of Marlborough to declare the l'abbits m the neighbourhood of Kaikoura vermin, and to provide therein for some equitable mode of raising a fund m the district to facilitate their eradication, and also to beg the Council to support a petition to the General Assembly for a grant m aid of so necessary a purpose." Mr Trimble withdrew his proposition m favour of Mr Bullen's amendment, which was carried. . It was proposed by Dr Fletcher, seconded by Mr Porritt, and carried — " That this meeting nominate a Committee to give effect to the last resolution by preparing and sending round for signature a Petition to the Government." * •. The following gentlemen were accord ingly nominated, viz., Messrs R. Tinliue, W. Gibson, C. Evans, Joseph Ward, Barrett, Harris, Bullen, Smith, Schroder, Stace, Trimble, James O'Dpnnell, Hailes, Wallace, A. Ingles, Grboch, and Captains Keene and Davidson. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting.