THE RABBIT NUISANCE

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 46

THE RABBIT NUISANCE

(By A. W. Hogg, M.H.jj \ ,

STATE OF AFFAIRS IN tri? WAIRARAPA. lIUS

Under the heading “An T m ' . Question,” there was publish^ B * Thursday’s issue of the ‘Times” a * a tribution from Napier on tho tn 0011 ' of the Rabbit Nuisance Act and the state of affairs in rarapa. The contribution says m 4l, position of affairs in the Wai ra £«> prominent farmer from that ,»..•> 5 informs me, is much worse than imagined. There has not been VS* viction ill that district for a iomr 1 • !' If seventy-four rabbits can faif gun in the course of on a fW,? oa , B shooting, it will readily b 0 Sf > p „ 10 . 0 , a3 the outlook for sheep-fanners h too rosy, unless the question is cw not ly grappled with.” ’ s ll0,!3 ‘ These charges are serious, fin,.,). . tljey imply v 1. That rabbits are fJj 1 tiplymg enormously m the Wah-aZ 2. The VYairarapa farmers, by ti««ir iigence, are allowing their nronertW?* become valueless, d. Tim stock in? l ° tors are not doing their duty leu the contributoi name his im'ormart—B, “prominent farmer?” Will u ‘ j;" 18 where the seventy rabbits fell? \ v ,. 8 regard to the absence of co-miction? will he state how many pro*eenH«S have taken place? The dcinns nas omy roeen three months i„ operation. What trial has it received? I venture to say that no old rabbit secitided m toe innermost recuses nf his burrow, will keep himself more re tireu than the “prominent fanner ” vb appears to have grossly imposed on ths credulity of the Mapier contributor bus assertions aiV incapable of tba slightest proof, and are quite at var anc? with the facts. I have been well over my district lately, and I find t w although the season has been none ton ravon Table for poisoning or rabbit ex termination, the pest 'has been kept well in hand. The value of land is everywhere in tire Thai rarapa increasing and the absence of prosecutions proves teat tiie farmers are doing their duty and the inspectors have up occasion to worry them. As regards the alteration or rue law. which tne contributor seeiiu to fear, I may point out that its effect is to make the adjudicating Magistrate a free agent, able to deal with evidence and rely on Ids own judgment instead of being compelled to convict on t lie “opinion” of everv prosecuting officer. ' ‘ 3