REVENUE FROM OPOSSUMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22211, 11 September 1935, Page 14

REVENUE FROM OPOSSUMS

DISTRIBUTION CRITICISED PROTEST BY SOCIETIES The inequitable distribution by the Government of the revenue from opossum trapping was the subject of a letter from the Grey River Acclimatisation Society road at the meeting of the council of tho Auckland society last night, and it was decided to give th" Southern society every support in the request for a united protest in the matter. In the Grey River area alone, stated the letter, the gross revenue from opossum trapping last year amounted to £703, of which £97 had been reimbursed and although 15,000 skins had been taken and the Government had roceiveJ 9d a skin, the revenue to the society had amounted to only ljd a skin. I:a addition, the Government had received £lB2 in licence fees. Reviewing the history of the opossum industry, Mr. Gordon, secretary to the Auckland society, pointed out that formerly tho Department of Internal Affairs received 10 per cent of the revenue, the State Forest Department and the acclimatisation societies receiving 45 per cent each. On this basis in 1929 the societies had received £1985. When tho siump came the revenue to the societies dwindled almost to nothing, but last year £2OOO had been distributed to the societies, of which £SOO had been allotted to fish research. Auckland received only £94. in spit' 3 of the fact that the tally for the district amounted to 10,000 skins " In times ot depression there has been a great increase in opossum trapping," said Mr. Gordon. " Many small orchardistg and settlors generally have sought to augment their income b,y trapping on a small scale, and at least 200 permits havo been issued this year in the Auckland area alone." The opinion was expressed that as tho societies were responsible for the control of the ari mals, the ranging and licensing, and the checking of skins, the Government should give much greater help than i'l> was doing at present.