AWATERE RABBIT BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXV, Issue 6, 8 January 1889, Page 3

AWATERE RABBIT BOARD.

The Board met yesterday; present: Messrs G. B, Richardson (Chairman), J. Coleman, and Thomas Carter, Mr Trolove, of Woodbank, wrote asking what sum he was entitled to receive from the Board to expend on ferrets, and the Board requested the Secretary to make the necessary calculation, and supply the information asked for. AN APPLICATION. The following communication was received from Mr J. D. Busby, of Blairich : — " I have no far had so reply to my letter addressed to you m October last, requestyour Board to allow me the amount of my rates for the current year, with their proportion of subsidy iri consideration of wire net fencing previously erected by me at Upton Downs. I have now to renew this application, m the hope and expectation tha.t your present Board mil consider the matter m a more fair and reasonable light than your predecessors seemed able to do. My position is this : That having anticipated the desire of the Board to encourage wire-net fencing as an aid m the destruction of rabbits, by the erection of 6J miles of such fencing, I am m all justice entitled to be placed m as good a position as if I had delayed this work until after the issue of the }a\o- Board's circular. I can quite understand that your present Board finds itaelf compelled to carry out the late Board's engagements m the matter of wire netting, even though it may be contrary to its own judgment, but there is nothing to hinder it from reversing that body's arbitrary and unfau; limitation of such subsidy to f £U,ces erected af^er the date of their circular. What I now propose to you is, that your Board shall return to me the amount of rates paid by the station under my control including Weld's Hill, managed by Mr Smith, for the financial year now current, and will consent to take the value of the subsidy m the natural enemy, say a portion m ferrets and the balance m weasels and stoats," MrColeraan thought the Board must ptand, by its resolution and atyer some desultory discussion the Board decided to inform Mr Busby that they could not entertain his proposal and to ask hiv'j at the same time how he would like his proportion of rates and subsidy returned to •him, whether m stoats or weasels, or m another line of wire net fencing approved by the Board. A SUGGESTION. \ Mr R. Beaumont, Scarborough, wrote : "I will vote, for the future, that the ferrets have to be turned out under the supervision of the Inspector. I tin! that on t piy back ootisijly dig juost cnjgiohl way of j

liberating ferrets is to have the mm, so employed using them for some v. <■•«>'••••, j shooting rabbits that have escupm t..n< poison. When a ferret lays up, the nv'ii ' leaves it, and so on. This course voiM [ curtail a considerable staff of inspector.-; to superintend. Perhaps at the nvxt meeting of the Hoard they may inform mo if they wish me to discontinue this method." It was deemed unnecessary to reply to the letter, members characterising the idea as a stupid one. Accompanying the letter was an account for eight miles of wire fencing, which the Board deferred paying until the Inspector had visited the spot, and reported on the netting. WIKE NETTING QUESTION. Mr P. Dillon wrote as follows :—" In answer to your letter asking where I intended to erect my wire netting, I beg to inform you that Mr Sinclair and I have arranged to put it along the boundary between Leefield and Valleyfield. I should be glad if the Board would inform me as to whether it is their intention to allow ratepayers to erect their fencing where they please, or whether, as agreed by the late Board, only on boundaries or m the subdividing of properties. The Secretary was directed to inform ■ Mr Dillon that, by the terms of the motion passed by the late Board on the 3rd Sept. last, it was to be left optional where the fences should be erected, but that they would have to be approved of by the Board. Also, that it was the intention of the Board to strictly abide by the resolution of the 3rd September, 1888, m regard to the allocation of the present year s rates and subsidy. PEEMATURE. The following letter from the Minister of Lands was read, dated Dec. 7 :— " I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th inst, forwarding a copy of a resolution passed by the Awatere Babbit Board opposing the petition for the division of the Awatere Rabbit District, and m reply I am directed by the Minister of Lands to inform you that the petition has not yet reached the Government." Received. inspector's report. The Inspector (Mr H. E. Collett) reported as follows:— I have visited and inspected the following lines of wire netting fences: — Tyntesfield: About two miles of netting to be erected between Newmans boundary and the woolshed, cutting off and dividing the Sentinel Hill and the station paddocks. The whole line is on the flat, with the exception of going over two or three terraces. Newmans propose spending their rates m the erection of wire netting on the boundary between their lower paddock and the Tyntsfield i boundary. Altimarloah : There are about four miles of netting already put up here, and Mr Mowat would wish to erect about two miles more upon his Blairich boundary, and one and a half miles to subdivide that already enclosed. . He bought the - netting for this purpose at the same time as the other was ordered, but learning that the Board would only pay for that erected after the motion was passed, made only temporary use of it by standing it along a line of fence already standing and not sinking it m the ground. If the Board will consent to the use of this line, the fence will be taken down, a higher one put up m its place, with extra wire on top, and the netting properly sunk m the ground and screwed. This netting is 3ft 6in high, and ljin mesh. I have never seen this property so free from rabbits before. Mr Mowat will take the balance of his rates m ferrets, which he will breed himself. Langley Dale : I have inspected the proposed line of netting at Langley Dale. It is good netting country, and is to run from a bluff rock m the Wairau River over the Spur and on to the back boundary, which is bush. Hillersden: With reference to Mr Carter's proposal, I have inspected some of the boundary between Wantwood and Birch Hill, which is all fair netting country but before reporting on the line over Mount Moses I shall have to make a further inspection, which will require time and some assistance from the station. Looking at the country generally, I believe it practicable. Brookby; The line of fence proposed by Mr B. Ward on Brookby is satisfactory. Valleyfield ; Mr Sinclair's proposed line of fence between Valleyfield and Seafield is on good netting country. Dumgree : Mr Watson's proposal to fence the boundary between the river and Lynton's with Mr Clifford, and thence up the flat, is satisfactory, it being all level and good netting country, Birch Hill: Last year's poisoning at Birch Hill appears to have been very successful. Balance sheet : I have prepared a balance sheet for 1888, which is now completed and ready for signature aud audit, b u which it will be seeu that the Sforrent a c"count is oyei:dva.wn : It w in therefore be necessary to break one of the amounts of £500 now on fixed deposit. Weasels : As requested at the last meeting of the Board, I have made a list of those stockowners who wish their rates and subsidy spent m weasels, resulting as follows : Upcot station, $100 ; Mailer, £66 13s 4d ; Birch Hill (weasels or disease), £256 6s ; Kekerangu (half rates and subsidy m weasels), £208 10s sd; Molesworth, £175 16s 8d; Tarndale, £37 10s; Langridge, £68' 3s ; Avondale, £50.— Total, £962 19s sd. MISCELLANEOUS. Messrs Sinclair and McCallum were appointed solicitors to the Board. The notice of motion to appoint a resident Secretary was held over, owing to the absence of Mr Richmond, the proposer. The following motion by Mr Carter, seconded by Mr Coleman, was carried nem con : — " That the applications for expenditure of rates and subsidy m wire netting be acceded to, subject to the lines being approved of by the Board, and that the amount applied for m stoats and weasels, viz, £9(52 10s lOd, as per applications, be considered as finally awarded, and that steps bo taken at once to secure the necessary supply." It was resolved to made enquiries from importers as to terms on which to procure' shipments of stoats and weasels, and to order no more until after next meeting. The Chairman and Mr Carter were appointed to interview the Manager of the Bank of New Zealand re iinanco. Alter passing accounts the Board rose.