A THREATENED INDUSTRY.

NZ Truth, Issue 124, 2 November 1907, Page 5

A THREATENED INDUSTRY.

THE TRIP OF TOURIST TRIPP. The Antics of the Acclimatisation Board. Akatarawaites Up m Arms. "Truth's" forcible exposure of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society as a nuisance of the most dangerous type and a menace to flourishing industries on the banks of the Akatarawa and other streams, has struck a sympathetic note throughout the country, and numerous letters of appreciation have been received at the office ofthis fearless newspaper. That a body of irresponsible bald-heads—-whose highest ideal of existence is to sit m solemn conclave and debate whether a worm or an artificial fly may be used to torture the trout m the local streams —should be vested with:power to make regulations calculated to ruin the sawmilling, mining, flaxmilling and kindred river-side industries, is a blot upon the democratic escutcheon of God's own country, %hd a reflection upon the legislators who pander to the distorted tastes^ of the privileged few. This question of stream pollution is reaching an,acute stage, when the people will hay^e to .decide between sacrificing the wealthy natural resources of this country, and the fish that have been placed in -the streams for the passing, amusement of a useless and extremely bored section of the community, .* and who represent an unnecessary excrescence on the face of the map. The sawmills on the Akatarawa River, m particular, are m. actual darrger of suppression through .the meddlesome machinations . OF THE NEVER-SWEAT SOCIETY. About a month back, a person named Tripp, who. presides at the fish murdering association's meetings and is tripping up the sawmilling industry for all it is worth, paid an indignant visit to the Akatarawa mills, found sawdust m the water, and hastened back to town choking with mortification, to lay an information against one of the millers. The Akatarawa Timber Company has been run- x ning its mill for sixteen months, and employs, a large number of hands, the majprity of whom are ma,rried men with families ; men who are practically settlers, as the Company estimates that the cutting will extend over fifteen years, independent of a considerable quantity of dry timber available. The sawmill is the pioneer of settlement, and these employees represent .the nucleus of • the future' farming community that is to increase the dairy and other pastoral and agricultural produce from a prosperous settled district. Were there only one mijl on the Akatarawa stream the evil consequences of the Society's objectionable tactics would not be considerable, but there are four miils m the valley, and all are liable at any moment to be hampered and persecuted for interfering with the fly-swallowing abilities of the miserable trout m the stream. The Society ropes m five or six pounds annually m license fees, and to enable the holders of these licenses to sit on a/bank and bring their tired intellects to bear on the hooking of an unsuspecting fish without being annoyed by- the presence of beastly sawdust, mills which pay £800 a month m carting and wages, besides large sums m royalty, for cutting rights, are expected to close down and leave the valley m its rustic simplicity, untrodden by those vulgar persons, who contribute by their toil $o the prosperity of this great and^gjorious country. This sort of thing,.isn't confined to the Akatarawa stream. The exigencies of 'the timber milling industry necessitate the erection of mills on the banks of rivers throughout the length and breadth of ifew Zealand, and if a comparatively ; small section of the community that says "Bai iove !" when it is rqusedj and 1 a smaller section from abroad whose most valuable possession is. the Oxford or Cambridge bleat, are to place some of our most valued' industries m jeopardy, then it is about time the Government got a move on and justified its unsubstantiated claim that it represents government of the people. This religious publication is not cognisant of the. present address of that" wretched person, Isaac Walton, the •uncanonised patron saint,of THE KNICKER-BOCKER DRONES of the community, but if the heated prayers of the millers and miners and farmers' and fellmongers of the country count for 'anything m. the scheme of eternal punishment, the temperature of Isaac's abode must be extremely high. It" is not probable that our well-meaning but extremely urbane Administration is aware of the far-reaching, effects of this acclimatisation curse. The fishing season synchronises with lambing time m the country districts, and as the spell of trout-fishing, like the mudness of the motor fiend, renders the disciple deaf and blind to all other considerations and makes- him lie like a land . tax valuation about the weight of Ms catch, he trespasses on people's property without regard for the consequences. The backbone of the country is up .m arms against the miserable stream whipper, who frightens the owes at a critical period and exercises . a deplorable influence upon the lambing.averages. The person with, dog and gun, * another protege of THE SANGUINARY SOCIETY, is also warned off .the premises with curses, and brutal remarks are hurl■ed at the rangers of the arlrlle-pated 1 association., This sort of thing can't i last forever, and as it is extremely : undesirable .that there should be a repetition of the summary justice meted out to Pn offender by the people of Opunp T -\V(-Jie Government had IMj ter act, o«r» act at once. Are you lisi tening, Sir Joseph ? !