THE Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily. FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1914. ACCLIMATISATION AFFAIRS.

Northern Advocate, 8 May 1914, Page 6

THE Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily.

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1914. ACCLIMATISATION AFFAIRS.

REGISTERED FOR TRANSMISSION THROUGH I , HIC POST AS a NEWSP AP E R

A proposal which emanated from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr H. D. Bell) to the effect' ' that three of the f North Auckland acclimatisation : societies—Wha ngarei, Bay .of Islands, and'Whangaroa—Mangonui—should amal- . gamate in the direction of pint, control, and the formation of .me large acclimatisation area, is at present engaging attenion. The pros and cons of the subject offer , a wide field for discussion, and much may be said for and against the proopsal. In endeavouring to deal with the matter from a strict- . ly impartial viewpoint it might he pointed out that the advantages of amalgamation would be—in theory at least—a higher state of efficiency and a lower cost of administration, and possibly the ixilfilment of a yague promise by the Minister of Internal Affairs of State assistance by way of Government grant, or a present of Crown lands for the purpose of establishing a hatchery. On the other hand, the disabilities of an r amalgamated area are manifold. The big area might cumbersome to deal with, and the community of interest which is so ap- • parent at the present, time among * the individual societies would probably cease to, exist., But possi- - bly the greatest difficulty which ' would present itself would be eon- *A cerning the management of the. ■ ™ amalgamated society, as it is hard to see how the present system in vogue could be persevered with. . At present'individual members of lh« three societies have, by. virtue of their voting powers at the annual meetings, a voice in the direction of affairs. To some extent this would be impossible under the - proposed new regime. The amal- ' gamated area's affairs would be directed from some centre, and which it is reasonable to suppose might be situated in. any of the Northern counties concerned. This , ■ would mean that many, of the ' members of the amalgamated society would be unable to attend annual meetings, and unless voting by proxy were allowed they would be practically without representation. sWe are rather inclined to think that, ■ should the ■ amalgamated acclimatisation area come to be an actual fact, its;m,an- ' , agement would be vested in a. , board of members elected in much the same way as, an ordinary local body, but even if this should be so the possibility of unanimity of ml terest and purpose is purely .prob- , lematical.. As far as the Whangarei Acclimatisation Society is con- • cerned the inducement would need to be considerable before any question of amalgamation could be seriously entertained. It is also;;.. interesting to point out that this-' particular society owes its present existence to the disadvantages of - a former unwieldy acclimatisation area, as it is a matter of that the Whangarei district severed from the Auckland ciety's district, solely in-the inter- "" ests of reform and progress. From. \\ at time the Whangarei society hns nourished and prospered, and much good work has been achieVr ,' f . Ed in regard to the' : introduction of feathered game. There is no reason why that state of prosperity ' 'should not continue, and therefore, any proposed change should , < receive the fullest -investigation. After a review of the whole position it seems that a solution of,the problem would be in the establishment of a North Auckland game .; farm, maintained at the joint expense of the various societies, and' ..• which in turn, as now, would.continue to manage' their own district affairs. •