FIGHTING RABBIT PEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18468, 3 August 1923, Page 10

FIGHTING RABBIT PEST.

■• r* ~ * '■ . ■ . i VARIOUS MEANS DISCUSSED ' "A % PRELIMINARY - CANTER"' , [BXV raXEQUAPH.—special: eepobtek.;j i ; - .. ' WELLINGTON, Thursday... !'■; For: a while this evening the House of .« > Representatives indulged in a pastime i which one member, described as "chewing * j rabbits," in other, words, , a discussion of ! the rabbit nuisance. ;V ; 7;- - : ■••':>H,:..v ,'v ;'• The excuse.; was provided by a small item of £17TO in the estimates of the Native' Department for wages and other ' expenses in the destruction of rabbits on ' native lands.a it was impossible to. confine • the discussion to -native V\nds alone, for ' members claimed that experiences of other ■■'. landholders , were relevant to the issue. ' However, when one} speaker set out to ■ describe methods of poisoning used in Ans- •■> traliai the. Chairman of Committees, Mr J., A. Young, was; obliged to intervene Traps, 1 poison, shooting, and wire fences,, all were brought ; under review and : ab " bit farming," said;: to be carried on in : Otago and Southland, was condemned by several members. < jr. : .V ■/•;:..;.' -.ivw-., :; r- Mr. , G. W. Forbes , (Huruhui) pressed for an inquiry 'into the whole , problem, though preferably not by -a' Royal Commission. The object, ho, said, should b» ' to find out the very best methods .', of ati tacking the pest. it ; had;"been shown clearly that the methods used and advo* cated ;by ?the "Department of' Agriculture •were not the best, and when inexperienced settlers adhered strictly Jto ; the department's advice the rabbits ware not reduced. The "Government stroke" was of, no use in combating rabbits. . , Mr. T. D. Burnett Kuiti) said the .'■ greatest obstacle was ; the » profit; which ; could be obtained from ; rabbit fur. « He j thought -: that ! it might 'be ■ necessary <, to in- " stitute control over the export. of skins. ; ; The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) 1 ! I advocated a ; vigorous i policy of closer \ settlement; as one of the best • cures. "In V Southland," he said, ; ''we have a land teeming with fertility."-., :,:-' -; .' '■■[ A Member: And rabbits..-' The Minister in > charge of- Native Affairs, Hon. J. G. Coates, when his turn \. came to reply, said-that members would ; not think him discourteous if he did not . say anything about the subject. -, "Mem- •' bers have had a good preliminary canter ; : on noxious weeds and rabbits," -he said, % "and tlwy should be'getting into good (■ running form for the Minister for Agriculture when he brings his Estimates before ' the House." . Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui): Chas- ' ing rabbits. : v ' ■ •./ '.. ;■ e- ■'..— . ■ / ~~~ .■•;'■•.'-'•'.•-