Acclimatisation In Northland Area

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1943, Page 2

Acclimatisation In Northland Area

Provided a reasonable amount ol cart rid eon are made available, the Northland Acclimatisation Societies' Federation will recommend that an open season for 1944 be declared iri their area extending from the Whangs, re i boundary to the North Cape This was the decision of the annual meeting of the federation held in Whangarci on Saturday night. Chairman's Report "In view ol the benzine and lyre restrictions it was round impossible to hold Ihe annual meeting in .inly, 1942, as prescribed by the rules, and 1 directed the eieiary to ei.rnmunieate with all member r.eietie:'.. Tile eoUSeIiSUS of opinion was mat the existing officers should carry on i,,r a iuilher period of 12 months," raid the retiring’ ehairman I Mr. T. .1. V. Dunlop) in his report. The secretary t Mr. D. A. Williams) had been called into camp, stated Mr. Dunlop, and since then he had carried on alone. Wo subscriptions bad been collected from societies for the year 1942-42 and the outgoings since November 20, 1942, amounted to 18/fi. made up of bureaux’ arid postages. There was a credit balance of £l9. ••There are seven remits to be dealt will) at this meeting," stated the report. "Probably the most important of these is the one dealing with the amalgamation of the four Northern societies. 1 would counsel that this remit be dealt with very cautiously ami earnestly as an unwise decision 'might lead to friction and dissatisfaction, for which there is no place if acclimatisation societies in Northland are to progress.” Election of Officers Election of officers resulted: Chairman, Mr. S. J. Snow; vice-chairman, to be nominated by the Hobson society; auditor. Mr. D. L. Smedlev; secretary, Mr. (2. P. Butler; delegate to North Island Council, Mr. S. .1. Snow. Delegates representing the four Northland Acclimatisation Societies were: Messrs. T. J. V. Dunlop. E. Doel, C. L. Checsman (Bav of Islands); J. O'Sullivan. W. If. Craig. G. Hayes iMangonuiWhangaroa): S. J. Snow. B. P. Hopkins and L. A. Dent (Wliangarei). Delegates from the lfobson Acclimatisation Society were not present. A motion put forward by the MangonuiWhangaroa society, that the federation agree to the principle that the chairman of the federation for the time being be appointed the federation’s representative to the North Island council, was defeated. Bay of islands opinion was that it was a mistake to change the delegate every year. The appointment could be an annual concern and the delegates’ actions at previous conferences could be reviewed, but to have a permanent representative at the council would give him full knowledge of what was going on and was definitely desirable. Whangarei thought the delegate should he elected annually. Piicc cf Cartridges "Cartridges bought at 19/- per 100 by i the Government have been sold to us for 20/-." said Mr. Snow, advocating that a remit expressing the view that the price charged for cartridges was excessive should be sent to the North Island council. His motion was carried. Lengthy discussion took place on a proposal’by the Bay of Islands that the sale of cartridges throughout the federation's area bo restricted to licensenoklers only. Mangemii-Whangaroa thought that, the proposal would antagonise the fanners. Whangarei gave no support, and the motion was lost. ll was decided that ihe question of property owners' privileges should be reconsidered at the next meeting of the North Island council.

Pheasant Supply The position regarding pheasants was fairly critical, said Mr. Snow, for the Whangarei society. Breeders had found that thi-y could make more money by raising poultry tor food than by raising • pheasants for acclimatisation societies. Dele gates resolved to advise the secretary ol Ihe federation within 14 days of the requirements of each society and that the av< rage ceiling price of pheasants should be D'/( i. Mangonui-Whnngaroa brought to the am nliun of the meeting the large increase in rabbits in the North. The ease of one Northland dairy company, which had recently voted Llfit) towards the extinction cl : rabbits, was cited and it was decided by the delegates that the secretary forward to the Ministers for Lands and Internal Affairs a letter slating that concern is tell by the Northland federation at the increase in rabbits and that any locai organisation prepared to donate funds should receive the £1 for £1 subside. the same as the rabbit boards. It was also moved that the SheepownerT FV-di ration t>e asked to consider assisting in liie payment of bonuses for hawks' legs. l)t‘l< ;;;i|ltepi;l is "'foe delegate representing ihe Non island fu-deration was the only tvpresemalivt. who did nut know whether his federation desired an open or a closed season lor 1942," said Mr. Snow, 1942 delegate io ihe North Island Council, repoeimr on ihe conference. "Out of the four social its in Northland, two were for a close season ttncl iwo against it. Bay of Islands and Mangonui-Whangaroa Acclimaiisruion Societies were ihe only two societies in ihe whole of ihe North Island who were againsi an open season,” said Mr. Snow. li had been decided at Hie conference thai an open season lasting ihree weeks for ducks and longer periods for other j game be recommended in .1942. whether new ammunition was released or not.

"T was the only delegate at ihe council who represented societies which did not. have suflieic-m cartridges for another season." said Mr. Snow, "yet when 1 suggested that under these circumstances any cartridges which were released should be made available to Northland, the attitude oi’ my co-delegates altered considerably." Two remits which the Northland Federation had sent to the North Island Council were fully explained by Mr. Snow. One of them had dealt with vermin control funds. The law required that •V- pc-r license should be paid into the fund, and the question had been brought forward as to why those societies in credit in the fund were not allowed to draw upon it when bonus payments for vermin were discontinued. At that time Whangarei had bc-en in credit to the extent of £IX9. yet they were not able to draw from that amount.

■'They pm one across us there all right." im'-rjecn-d Mr. Dunlop. Mr. Snow said that it v.as understood that iiio fund, although a pool account, eara'f-d an implied intention tliai no society would overdraw the amount paid in. Northland societies had watched that, carefully and honoured the agreement, but. ethers were overdrawn. Northland soeii - tics felt they had been victimised, particularly by Wellington, with the big amount paid l'or C2ll skins. Non it Island Council had decided that the money should be kept in credit until a minute signed by all the North Island dele, can s varying the position was produced.

T itc second remit which Mr. Snow had been instructed to take up at the conference was that of I ashing licenses. Last year the secretary of the confciencc (Mr. E. J. Wiflin) had taken matters into his own hands and written to the Marine Department asking for authorisation to increase thi‘ ashing fee to do/- for the whole Nf.t'iit Island. Asked why he had doin' this. Mr. Witl'in had said that, according to his nndet.standing, the idea was unanimous. He now understood Non bland d:d noi want MO/- for its licensing fee. "The license has not been reduced," said Mr. Do- 1.

Concluding his report, Mr. Know said: "I say again that all Northland federated societies should support the North Island Council m the utmost."