KEEPING DOWN RABBITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17708, 17 February 1921, Page 8

KEEPING DOWN RABBITS.

BOARD'S SUCCESSFUL SYSTEM. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WTTAKATANE, Wednesday. The Rangitaiki River running north from the Urewera Country to the Bay of Plenty and the Mohaka River flowing from the Urewera into Hawke's Bay from the western and southern boundaries of the East Coast rabbit district, has an area of five to six million acres. Addressing the Parliamentary party at To Teko to-day Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P., said the Rabbit Board kept the whole of this area free of rabbits, actually clearing them back from Opotiki to the line of the Rangitaiki River in the west. The board had .now a dozen men along the western boundary and the same number along the southern line. The board spent £7000 to £8000 annually, £3000 of which was derived from a stock tax on every farmer and station holder in the whole district, and the balance from a Government subsidy, and charges for keeping clear Crown and native lands. Under this system the owners of land are not asked to destroy rabbits. This the board did by. its own staff, all sorts of methods, including poisoning and fumigating, being employed. Mt. Lysnar contended that any other district in New Zealand could have the same success in dealing with the rabbit pest if a similar system were employed.